Editing Guava (section)

== Ecology ==
''Psidium'' species are eaten by the [[caterpillar]]s of some [[Lepidoptera]], mainly [[moth]]s like the Ello Sphinx (''[[Erinnyis ello]]''), ''[[Eupseudosoma aberrans]]'', ''[[Eupseudosoma involutum|E.&nbsp;involutum]]'', and ''[[Hypercompe icasia]]''. [[Mite]]s, like ''[[Pronematus pruni]]'' and ''[[Tydeus munsteri]]'', are known to be crop [[pest (organism)|pests]] of the [[apple guava]] (''[[Psidium guajava|P.&nbsp;guajava]]'') and perhaps other species.<ref name="morton" /> The [[bacterium]] ''[[Erwinia psidii]]'' causes rot diseases of the apple guava.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Pomini AM |author2=Manfio GP |author3=Araújo WL |author4=Marsaioli AJ. | title = Acyl-homoserine lactones from ''Erwinia psidii'' R. IBSBF 435T, a guava phytopathogen (''Psidium guajava'' L.)| journal = Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry| year = 2005| volume = 53| issue = 16| pages = 6262–6265| url= https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf050586e | doi = 10.1021/jf050586e | pmid = 16076103 }}</ref>

The fruit is cultivated and favored by humans, and many other animals such as birds consume it, readily dispersing the seeds in their droppings. In [[Hawaii]], strawberry guava (''[[Psidium littorale|P.&nbsp;littorale]]'') has become an aggressive [[invasive species]] threatening [[extinction]] to more than 100 other plant species.<ref>{{cite web |author=Price J|date=14 June 2008 |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2008/06/14/editorial/commentary.html |work=[[Honolulu Star Bulletin]] |title=Strawberry guava's hold has proven devastating|access-date=7 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.conservehi.org/documents/CCH_StrawberryGuava_ActionAlert.pdf|publisher=Conservation Council for Hawai‘i|date=2010|title=Leveling the Playing Field in Hawai'i's Native Forests|access-date=7 December 2014|archive-date=15 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215065428/http://www.conservehi.org/documents/CCH_StrawberryGuava_ActionAlert.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> By contrast, several guava species have become rare due to [[habitat destruction]] and at least one (Jamaican guava, ''[[Psidium dumetorum|P.&nbsp;dumetorum]]'') is already extinct.

Guava wood is used for [[Smoking (cooking)|meat smoking]] in Hawaii, and is used at barbecue competitions across the United States. In Cuba and Mexico, the leaves are used in barbecues.