Brown Lace Lerp

The Brown Lace Lerp is an oval, flat and soft 4mm long critter. Their wings are transparent with a wing-span of 6mm.

Brown Lace Lerp feed on Eucalyptus trees. They are a small psyllid that live under a small shell-like cover called a Lerp. 

Adults appear in summer and lay batches of 50-100 eggs. Eggs hatch to produce nymphs that are active from May to November. The nymphs shelter under the lerp scale and suck sap from the leaf. The leaves then develop yellow blotchy patches that turn brown. The leaves gradually turn completely brown and fall. In very severe cases the tree can look as if it has been scorched by fire.

Stressed trees seem to be more susceptible. The treatment will largely depend on the size of the affected tree. If the tree is very large, then reduce any stress and improve the health of the tree, this may be a need of water or base nutrients. If the tree is small then Pest Oils, contact or Systemic sprays are a possible option. In conjunction with any treatment the general health of the tree has to be addressed anyway. If you can’t save the tree, replace it with a resistant species.

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