Location: petiole, leaf midrib, between leaf veins, stem
Form: witches broom, leaf curl
Cells:
Possible Range:
The gall's range is computed from the range of all hosts that the gall occurs on. In some cases we have evidence that the gall does not occur across the full range of the hosts and we will remove these places from the range. For undescribed species we will show the expected range based on hosts plus where the galls have been observed.
Our ID Notes may contain important tips necessary for distinguishing this gall
from similar galls and/or important information about the taxonomic status of
this gall inducer.
Created Feb 4, 2026 1:47 PM UTC
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Last updated Feb 4, 2026 1:47 PM UTC
New psyllid pest of California pepper tree
James A. Downer, Pave1 Svihra, Richard H. Molinar, Jack B. Fraser, & Carlton S. Koehler
(1988)
[F]irst discovered in Long Beach, California, in July 1984 ... the peppertree psyllid, Calophya schini ... is native to Peru, which is also the native home of the California pepper tree, Schinus rnolle ...
Damage is caused by the nymphal stage of the insect. Each nymph makes a deep pit in the leaflet, and several dozen pits may occur on the same leaflet. Pitting and nymphal development occur also on petioles, immature flower buds, slender green twiglets, and occasionally on heavier wood. The pitting and associated discoloration and distortion of leaflets and twiglets disfigure trees. High psyllid populations result in a grayish appearance of infested trees, followed by extensive foliage drop, particularly during the
winter and early spring before the new flush of foliage is produced.
Adult female psyllids deposit translucent white eggs, which darken before hatching, on several types of tender new growth of the pepper tree. Unexpanded leaves ... seem
to be the preferred site of egg-laying. On hatching, the nymphs settle on nearby plant growth. Of 170 nymphs found on 192 leaflets examined from 16 leaves, 55 percent were on the lower surface and 45 percent on the upper surface.
