D, Infested gardenia leaf. Reported from Virginia southward and around to Texas, then westward to California. The primary host plant is citrus of all types, but many ornamentals are also hosts. The most common are Allamanda, banana shrub, Boston ivy, chinaberry, English ivy, gardenia, lilac, pear, osage orange, and privet. Direct damage is caused by the removal of sap.
Indirect damage is caused by the excretion of copious amounts of honeydew where sooty molds grow.
This black mold will contribute to poor aesthetics and perhaps interfere with photosynthesis. Winter or colder periods are passed as late nymphal stages on the undersides of leaves. These may be on some remaining plants or weeds growing under benches. In the spring or when heat is applied adults will emerge and deposit eggs on the undersides of new plant growth. These eggs will hatch in 8 to 24 days, depending on the temperature.