Eriophyidae is a family of more than 200 genera of

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evid ...

s, which live as

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has ...

s, commonly causing

gall Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...

s or other damage to the plant tissues and hence known as gall mites. About 3,600 species have been described, but this is probably less than 10% of the actual number existing in this poorly researched family. They are microscopic mites and are yellow to pinkish white to purplish in color. The mites are worm like, and have only two pairs of legs. Their primary method of population spread is by wind. They affect a wide range of plants, and several are major pest species causing substantial economic damage to crops. Some species, however, are used as biological agents to control weeds and invasive plant species. Aculops rhois galls

Notable species

Notable species in this family include: *''

Abacarus hystrix ''Abacarus hystrix'', the cereal rust mite or grain rust mite, belongs to the family Eriophyidae. They are extremely small with adults measuring up to in length and only have four legs at the front of the body. Viewing by the human eye require ...

'', the cereal rust mite *'' Abacarus sacchari'', the

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...

rust mite *'' Acalitus essigi'', the redberry mite, which affects

blackberries The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family (biology), family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus' ...

*''

Aceria chondrillae ''Aceria chondrillae'' (chondrilla gall mite, skeletonweed gall mite) is a gall forming deuterogynous, eriophyid (mite) often used as a biological control of the noxious weed, ''Chondrilla juncea'' (Rush skeletonweed), a highly competitive herba ...

'', the chondrilla gall mite, an agent of biological control against skeleton weed (''

Chondrilla juncea ''Chondrilla juncea'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by a number of common names, including rush skeletonweed, gum succory, devil's grass, and nakedweed. The plant is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but ...

'') *''

Aceria guerreronis ''Aceria guerreronis'', the coconut mite, is an eriophyid mite which infests coconut plantations. It is economically devastating, and can destroy up to 60% of coconut production. The immature nuts are infested and injured by mites feeding in th ...

'', a mite of

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

s *''

Aceria malherbae ''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, particularly field bindweed (''Convolvulus arvensis''). This mite is native to ...

'', the bindweed gall mite, an agent of biological control against field bindweed (''

Convolvulus arvensis ''Convolvulus arvensis'', the field bindweed, is a species of bindweed that is rhizomatous and is in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae), native to Europe and Asia. It is a climbing or creeping herbaceous perennial plant with stems growing ...

'') *''

Cecidophyopsis ribis ''Cecidophyopsis ribis'' is an eriophyid mite which is best known for being a plant parasite, a pest of ''Ribes'' species, the genus that includes gooseberries and blackcurrants. It is commonly known as the blackcurrant gall mite or big bud mite ...

'', blackcurrant gall mite, important pest of several ''

Ribes ''Ribes'' is a genus of about 200 known species of flowering plants, most of them native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The various species are known as currants or gooseberries, and some are cultivated for their edible f ...

'' *'' Eriophyes padi'', a mite that causes cherry pouch galls on

black cherry ''Prunus serotina'', commonly called black cherry,World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference, Second Edition'. CRC Press; 19 April 2016. . p. 833–. wild black cherry, rum cherry, or mountain black cherry, is a deciduous tree or shrub of the g ...

trees

Selected genera

*''

Abacarus ''Abacarus'' is a genus of acari, including the following species: * '' Abacarus acutatus'' Sukhareva, 1985 * '' Abacarus doctus'' Navia ''et al.'', 2011Navia, D., Flechtmann, C.H.W., Lindquist, E.E., & Aguilar, H. (2011). "A new species of ''Aba ...

'' *''

Aberoptus ''Aberoptus'' is a genus of mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but ge ...

'' *''

Acalitus ''Acalitus'' is a genus of mites in the family Eriophyidae. These cosmopolitan, microscopic arthropods form galls on various plants, and some species such as ''Acalitus essigi'' and ''Acalitus vaccinii'' are pests of agricultural significance ass ...

'' *'' Acaphylla'' *'' Acaphyllisa'' *'' Acaralox'' *'' Acarelliptus'' *'' Acaricalus'' *''

Aceria ''Aceria'' is a genus of mites belonging to the family Eriophyidae, the gall mites. These tiny animals are parasites of plants. Several species can cause blistering and galls, including erineum galls. A few are economically significant pests, wh ...

'' *'' Achaetocoptes'' *'' Acritonotus'' *'' Aculochetus'' *'' Aculodes'' *'' Aculops'' *'' Aculus'' *'' Adenoptus'' *'' Aequsomatus'' *'' Anthocoptes'' *'' Bariella'' *'' Boczekiana'' *'' Brachendus'' *'' Calacarus'' *'' Calepitrimerus'' *'' Callyntrotus'' *'' Cecidophyes'' *'' Cecidophyopsis'' *'' Cisaberiptus'' *'' Colomerus'' *'' Coptophylla'' *'' Cosetacus'' *'' Criotacus'' *'' Cupacarus'' *'' Cymoptus'' *'' Dichopelmus'' *'' Ditrymacus'' *'' Epitrimerus'' *''

Eriophyes ''Eriophyes'' is a genus of acari that forms galls, specially on trees of the family Rosaceae. Some are called blister mites. The blue butterfly '' Celastrina serotina'' has been reported to feed on these galls and also on the mites, making it ...

'' *'' Gilarovella'' *'' Glyptacus'' *'' Keiferella'' *'' Leipothrix'' *'' Liroella'' *'' Mesalox'' *''

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'' *'' Monochetus'' *'' Neooxycenus'' *'' Neotegonotus'' *'' Oxycenus'' *'' Paraphytoptus'' *''"

Pentamerus :''The gall mite genus ''Pentamerus'', established by Roivainen in 1951, is invalid and needs to be renamed. Until this happens, use '' Pentamerus (mite)''.'' ''Pentamerus'' (meaning "five thighs") is a prehistoric genus of brachiopods that live ...

"'' Roivainen, 1951 (''non'' Sowerby, 1813:

preoccupied The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linn ...

) *'' Phyllocoptes'' *'' Phyllocoptruta'' *'' Platyphytoptus'' *'' Reckella'' *'' Shevtchenkella'' *'' Stenacis'' *'' Tegolophus'' *'' Tegonotus'' *'' Tegoprionus'' *''

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'' *'' Tetraspinus'' *'' Thamnacus'' *'' Tumescoptes'' *''

Vasates ''Vasates'' is a genus of mites in the family Eriophyidae, which cause galls on the leaves of trees, including the following species: *''Vasates aceriscrumena'' (Riley & Vasey, 1870) *''Vasates quadripedes'' (Henry Shimer, Shimer, 1869) Referen ...

References

Digital museum of Nature: Classification of Eriophyoid MitesFauna Europaea
* Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog
Eriophyidae

External links

on the UF/ IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
''Acathrix trymatus'', a coconut mite
on the UF/ IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
''Aceria guerreronis'', a coconut mite
on the UF/ IFAS Featured Creatures Web site Acari families Agricultural pest mites Sarcoptiformes {{agriculture-stub