Boxwood Psyllid Psylla buxi
Psyllids are capable of jumping and also appear in great numbers at times. The adults are very mobile though and hard to catch. The nymphs are not that jumpy. There are quite some species and many are hard to identify. But by looking at the foodplant we are often able to make the right identification, for most species are monophagous. The Boxwood Psyllid is a very good example, for it lives on Boxwood exclusively and usually is the only Psyllid interested in that plant. The larvae suck on fresh leaves in spring time, after overwintering. They cause the leaves to curl inwards (spoon-like). While sucking the larvae secrete a wax-like white substance, which covers them completely at times. The adults appear in May or June, are jumping about a lot and do less damage to your Boxwood plant. They lay their eggs near the buds at the end of twigs. In autumn the young larvae appear. They do not become very active, but hide between buds and overwinter, to attack as soon as the bud develops into a leaf.
