CLOSED: Weird flying insects on my plant...

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RazorSharpFang Perth, Australia Oct 02, 2015

I'm trying to grow a tree in a pot for sale in a charity event that's coming up soon, but I've noticed these weird flying insects all over my plant.
See attached photo.
Are these good insects or bad insects? The tree in question is a Cape Leeuwin Wattle (Paraserianthes lophantha). I'm worried that these insects may be harmful to the plant, and I would not be able to sell an insect-infested plant in good conscience.
If these insects are bad insects, what kind of steps could I take to rid the plant of these? I'm worried that these may be adult aphids, for my plant does have an aphid problem I also need to take care of.

Thanks in advance.

Thumbnail by RazorSharpFang
Post #10149860
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Flapdoodle Minot, ND Oct 02, 2015

The image of the insect itself is too small for me to be certain of an i.d., but it might be a sap-feeding insect in the family Psyllidae - see http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Melaleuca-psyllid/Boreioglycaspis/melaleucae.html for an example (obviously would not be the same species as yours, if indeed it is a psyllid). Insects of this nature often can be controlled with an application of insecticidal soap or neem oil. Just FYI, some psyllids have been used as biological control agents for plant species similar to yours (which is considered a weed in parts of Australia - http://www.cyclopaedia.de/wiki/Paraserianthes_lophantha).

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