The Invasion History of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae) in Puerto Rico: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, 1908 (Hemiptera: Liviidae), is a phloem-feeding insect pest of Citrus L. ( Sapindales: Rutaceae), Murraya J. Koenig ex L. (Sapindales: Rutaceae), and other Rutaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent and transmits the citrus greening pathogens (huanglongbing). We herein evaluate the occurrence of D. citri in Puerto Rico at a fine scale and the potential invasion history of the Caribbean from the native range. We found that the genetic diversity of D. citri in Puerto Rico, using the mitochondrial genetic marker CO1, indicated that the Caribbean haplotype is unique and more related to Southwest Asia haplotypes than other groups. Results then suggest that the invasion of the Caribbean did not occur from the United States. Also, we found that isothermality was the abiotic variable that influenced D. citri species distribution model performance the most in current and future climate change scenarios. Given the data available from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) for present D.citri reported occurrence, future projections suggest that climate change might promote an expansion of the pest to other Caribbean islands and Latin American countries. Still, it might elicit a range contraction across the Cordillera Central in Puerto Rico, possibly promoting citriculture. Regarding pest management strategies, we must consider a holistic approach to understanding D. citri invasion and resilience in novel habitats by including broader and more robust genetic population structure studies and if its current distribution reflects projected models across the neotropics.