''Aceria malherbae'' is a species of gall mite known as the bindweed gall mite. It is used as an agent of biological pest control on invasive species of

bindweed Bindweed may refer to: * Some species of Convolvulaceae (bindweed family or morning glory family): ** '' Calystegia'' (bindweed, false bindweed, morning glory), a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants ** ''Convolvulus'' (bindweed, morning ...

, particularly field bindweed (''Convolvulus arvensis''). This mite is native to central and southern Europe and northern Africa. It was imported from

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

and released in the US state of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

in 1989. It is now established in Texas and surrounding states, where it has been known to reduce the density of invasive field bindweed. The adult mite is nearly microscopic and looks like a minute yellow

maggot A maggot is the larva of a fly (order Diptera); it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachycera flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and crane flies. ...

with two pairs of legs. The

nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label= Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...

is similar in appearance to the adult. The adult and the nymph both damage the plant, feeding on the leaves during the warmer seasons when the plant is growing, and on stem and root buds when the plant is dormant over the winter. Galls form on damaged plant tissues, causing leaves to warp and curl and stems and roots to grow out stunted if at all.

References

* Coombs, E. M., et al., (2004). ''Biological Control of Invasive Plants in the United States''. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 153.

External links

* Lauriault, L. M., et al
''Managing'' Aceria malherbae ''gall mites for control of field bindweed''.
New Mexico State Cooperative Extension Eriophyidae Animals described in 1985 Arachnids of Africa Arachnids of Europe Arachnids of North America Galls Invasive plants biological control agents {{Trombidiformes-stub