DYNAMICS AND DISTRIBUTION OF Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera:Psyllidae) IN A CITRUS ORCHARD IN TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA

Population fluctuation of Diaphorina citri was monitored once every four week for a period of seventeen months from March 2011 ? July 2012, in a pesticide free citrus orchard. High number of adult D. citri were found on the upper canopy, north cardinal point and leaves growth stage 1. D. citri adults and immatures were found on C. suhuinensis on all sampling dates, except in the months of December, 2011 and January and May 2012, for immatures. Peak population of D. citri adults were found in months of March and June in both years, while in immatures peak populations were identified in the months of July, 2011 and March, 2012. Correlation analysis of D. citri adults and immatures with flush growth leaves and weather parameters shows adult D. citri population to correlate with number of flush leaves (r = 0.93) and temperature (r = 0.45). While immature D. citri population only correlated with flush leaves. Findings of these study give an insight into dynamics of D. citri populations in citrus orchard, which is usefull in monitoring and management of the pest.