The state of Bahia ranks fourth in the national rank for citrus production, and the region of Chapada Diamantina is emerging an important producer of orange for fresh fruit market. Huanglongbing (HLB) is the major phytosanitary threat to Bahia citriculture. In Brazil, the disease was first reported in 2004 in São Paulo state. The bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) is one of the causal agents of HLB, which is transmitted by the insect vector Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae). Bahia is a HLB-free area; therefore, it is essential to monitor its citrus-producing areas to early detect any possible introduction of the CLas. This study aimed to monitor the presence of the bacteria in the insect vector. Diaphorina citri samples were collected from 2011 to 2014 in different cities located at Chapada Diamantina region and tested by qPCR for the presence of CLas. Three samples were considered positive to bacterium, and all from psyllids collected on Murraya paniculata in the city of Seabra.
Keywords: HLB; agricultural defense; citrus culture; diagnostic method; insect vector.