jumping plant louse

noun

any of numerous lice, of the family Psyllidae, that feed on plant juices and are sometimes pests of fruits and vegetables.

Origin of jumping plant louse

First recorded in 1900–05

Also called psylla, psyllid.

psylla

[sil-uh]

noun

jumping plant louse.

Also psyl·lid

[sil-id] /ˈsɪl ɪd/.

Origin of psylla

< New Latin (1811) Psylla genus name < Greek psýlla flea

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for psyllid

Historical Examples of psyllid

The Flea-lice (Psyllid) frequently produce galls, and these should always be collected with the insect architects.
Directions for Collecting and Preserving Insects
C. V. Riley
In fact, this fluid would seem to be produced by most of the Rhynchota, for the Psyllid and Aleurodid also excrete it.
An Account of the Insects Noxious to Agriculture and Plants in New Zealand
W. M. Maskell

British Dictionary definitions for psyllid

psyllid

psylla (ˈsɪlə)

noun

any homopterous insect of the family Psyllidae, which comprises the jumping plant liceSee plant louse (def. 2)

Word Origin for psyllid

C19: from Greek psulla flea

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012