Article: Insect damages thousands of eucalyptus trees in Orange County.(The Orange County Register)

SANTA ANA, Calif. _ It's only the size of a pinhead.

But the red gum lerp psyllid is getting the upper hand in Orange County.

The small, flying insect has hit tens of thousands of eucalyptus trees, prompted costly tree removal efforts and caused city officials to rethink the landscape of the county for the next decade.

It will cost up to $4.7 million for 11 cities and Doheny State Park alone to remove and replace eucalyptus trees infested by the insects. Remaining cities report the pest as a minor problem or have no infestation.

The red gum lerp psyllid is a fast-moving, tree-killing pest that has stumped bug experts who are ...

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