Moss Bug vs Psyllid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Moss Bug Psyllid
Scientific Name Peloridium hammoniorum Diaphorina citri
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Peloridiidae Liviidae
Size 2-4 mm 3-4 mm
Habitat Forests Orchards
Diet Sap Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions South America, Oceania Asia, Americas, Africa
Conservation Data Deficient Least Concern

Moss Bug

A tiny, flattened, living fossil found only in moist moss and liverwort beds in the Southern Hemisphere. The family dates back to the Jurassic period and retains many primitive features.

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Did You Know?

Moss bugs belong to one of the most ancient surviving families of true bugs, essentially unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs over 150 million years ago.

Psyllid

A small sap-sucking insect that vectors citrus greening disease, the most devastating citrus disease worldwide. Infected trees produce bitter misshapen fruit and eventually die.

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Did You Know?

The disease it spreads has caused billions of dollars in losses and threatens global citrus production.