Lifecycle and appearance of the potato/tomato psyllid

The eggs are egg-shaped with a bright orange-yellow colour. They are attached to a strand which connects them to the surface of leaves and can be found on the underside and leaf edge. Hatching occurs three to seven days after being laid. They pass through five nymphal stages. The key characteristics are their flat, oval-shaped appearance, distinctive red eyes, and waxy strands around their body. The entire development process lasts around 12 to 24 days, during which they visibly change colour over the different instars, starting with orange, then greenish-yellow, and finally green. When they hatch, the adults have a yellowish-green colour and whitish wings, which become transparent over time, and their bodies become a dark brown or black colour with white or yellow lines and a distinctive white stripe on the abdomen. They are small in size, around 2.5 mm, and they live between 20 and 60 days.