Box Sucker - Psylla buxi

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Alternative names
Box Gall, Boxwood Psyllid
Spanioneura buxi
Description

The psyllid causes galls to form on the shoot tips of Box. These galls take the form of pale, cabbage like clusters, the bunched leaves being strongly concave and slightly thickened.  During the summer they conceal numerous tiny pale green nymphs covered with white wax.

Identification difficulty

Gall Adult

Habitat

Where Box, the host plant, is present.

When to see it

Adults mature in late summer and lay overwintering eggs

UK Status

Widespread in the UK, and locally common; its distribution is largely dictated by the host plant.

VC55 Status

Status in Leicestershire and Rutland not known.

Further Information

https://bladmineerders.nl/parasites/animalia/arthropoda/insecta/hemiptera/sternorrhyncha/psylloidea/psyllidae/psyllinae/psylla/psylla-buxi/

  • steven lewis
    Prestwold Hall
    24 February 2019
    gall on Box
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote, Harecroft Crescent
    15 May 2022
    wax covered nymph
  • Saharima Roenisch
    Leicester Newarke Houses Museum
    16 February 2021
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote, Harecroft Crescent
    15 May 2022
    wax covered nymphs on underside of Box leaves
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote, Harecroft Crescent
    15 May 2022
    nymph with wax removed
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote, Harecroft Crescent
    15 May 2022
    nymph with wax removed
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote garden1
    17 March 2019
    gall on Box
  • sue
    Bagworth
    28 April 2023
    nymphs and wax inside curled leaves
  • sue
    Bagworth
    28 April 2023
    nymph

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Common names
Box Sucker
Species group:
Bugs
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Hemiptera
Family:
Psyllidae
Records on NatureSpot:
36
First record:
15/06/2013 (Woodward, Steve)
Last record:
21/10/2024 (Timms, Sue)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

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Latest images

Latest records

  • Saharima Roenisch
    Leicester Newarke Houses Museum
    16 February 2021
  • Saharima Roenisch
    Leicester Newarke Houses Museum
    16 February 2021
  • Saharima Roenisch
    Leicester Newarke Houses Museum
    16 February 2021
  • steven lewis
    Prestwold Hall
    24 February 2019
  • sue
    Bagworth
    27 October 2017
  • sue
    Glenfield Hospital, garden
    16 October 2019
  • David Nicholls
    Catthorpe Manor
    21 January 2020