Lethal yellowing (LY) affects several palm species in the Americas. It is caused by 16SrIV group phytoplasmas. In Florida (USA), LY was shown to be transmitted by the planthopper Haplaxius crudus (Van Duzee) (Hemiptera, Cixiidae) to different palm species, including Pritchardia pacifica Seem. & H. Wendl. (Arecaceae) in insect-proof cage experiments in the 1980s, a result that had never been reproduced later. LY has destroyed many coconut plantations as well as other palm species in the Caribbean and Mexico. In order to evaluate if H. crudus is a vector of LY phytoplasmas in Mexico, experiments were carried out in Yucatan (Mexico). Several H. crudus from palms infected by LY in the field were introduced into cages containing young P. pacifica palms. These insects were able to transmit 16SrIV group phytoplasmas to P. pacifica palms. According to DNA sequences comparative analysis, virtual restriction fragment length polymorphism, and phylogenetic analysis, the phytoplasmas detected in these infected P. pacifica were of subgroups A and D. All of ten P. pacifica palms infected with the subgroup D phytoplasmas developed symptoms of LY and died, whereas only one of two palms infected with subgroup A developed LY symptoms and died. This is the first time, more than 30 years later, that the role of H. crudus as a vector of LY is confirmed.

致命黄化 (LY) 影响美洲的几种棕榈树种。它是由 16SrIV 组植原体引起的。在佛罗里达州（美国），LY 被证明是由飞虱Haplaxius crudus (Van Duzee)（半翅目，慈溪科）传播给不同的棕榈物种，包括Pritchardia pacifica Seem。& H. 温德尔。（Arecaceae）在 1980 年代的防虫笼实验中，这一结果后来从未重现。LY 已经摧毁了加勒比海和墨西哥的许多椰子种植园以及其他棕榈树种。为了评估H. crudus是否是墨西哥 LY 植原体的载体，在尤卡坦（墨西哥）进行了实验。将田间被 LY 感染的棕榈树中的几种H. crudus引入装有幼苗的笼子中P. pacifica棕榈树。这些昆虫能够将 16SrIV 组植原体传播到P. pacifica棕榈树。根据DNA序列比较分析、虚拟限制性片段长度多态性和系统发育分析，在这些感染P. pacifica中检测到的植原体属于A和D亚群。感染D亚群植原体的10株太平洋P. pacifica棕榈树均出现LY症状。并死亡，而感染亚组 A 的两只手掌中只有一只出现 LY 症状并死亡。这是 30 多年后首次确认H. crudus作为 LY 载体的作用。