LAUSR

BACKGROUND The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hempitera: Liviidae) is a destructive, invasive species which poses a serious threat to the citrus industry wherever it occurs. The psyllid vectors the phloem-limited bacteria "Candidatus Liberibacter americanus" and "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus", causal agents of the incurable citrus greening disease or huanglongbing (HLB). It is essential to understand which regions and areas are suitable for colonization by ACP to formulate appropriate policy and preventive measures. Considering its biology and ecology, we used a machine learning algorithm based on MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy) principle, to predict ACP's potential global distribution using bioclimatic variables and elevation. RESULTS The model predictions are consistent with the known distribution of ACP and also highlight the potential occurrence outside its current ecological range, i.e. primarily in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The most important abiotic variables driving ACP's global distribution were annual mean temperature, seasonality of temperature, and annual precipitation. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the need for international collaboration in slowing the spread of invasive pests like D. citri. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.