Areas of potential abundance of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae), vector of the citrus greening disease in Mexico)

Abstract

The presence of the citrus greening disease (HLB) and its vector: Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) in Mexico, coupled with the large spread of the citrus industry, impede the detection, control and management. In order to generate tools that facilitate the implementation of strategies to confront the problems associated with HLB and its vector, this study was developed with the goal of implementing a practical and easy way to use a methodology for classifying the presence and potential of vector abundance and generate a map, showing the delineation of potential risk areas within the country. Three indices were modeled, two temperature-based (index of potential generations, IGP, and days with favorable conditions, IDCF), and another one on the availability of the host (citrus plantings, ISPC). On the final map, each index was weighted with respect to its maximum, interpolated using the inverse distance optimized method and averaged with others for the Egalitarian Risk Index (IRPM). We found that, the municipalities with the highest IDCF were Tuzantán, Chiapas, and Atoyac de Álvarez, Guerrero. Concerning IGP, the municipalities of Rosario, Sonora, and Pichucalco, Chiapas, presented 34 and 28 potential generations per year respectively. The maximum risk, IRPM, was found in the municipalities of Alamo Temapache, Martínez de la Torre, and Papantla, Veracruz, and Atoyac de Álvarez, Guerrero. The proposed method is practical, cheap and without complicated calculations; for improving it, it would be necessary to incorporate information regarding relative humidity, rainfall, phenology and species of citrus. Its usefulness lies by helping for decision making about actions for detection, monitoring, sampling and vector control.