''Phyllocoptes malinus'', also known as the apple leaf mite, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

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 ...

belonging to the genus ''

Phyllocoptes ''Phyllocoptes'' is a genus of acari, including the following species: * '' Phyllocoptes abaenus'' Keifer, 1940 * '' Phyllocoptes adalius'' Keifer, 1939 * '' Phyllocoptes alniborealis'' Liro, 1950 * '' Phyllocoptes alniincanae'' Roivainen, 1947 * ...

''. It causes a

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 ...

, which is a swelling on the external tissues, on the leaves of apples (''

Malus ''Malus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 30–55 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae, including the domesticated orchard apple, crab apples, wild apples, and rainberries. The genus is native to the temperate zone of th ...

'' species). The mite is found in Europe and was first described by the Austrian

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

Alfred Nalepa Alfred Nalepa (19 December 1856, in Werschetz – 11 December 1929, in Baden bei Wien) was an Austrian zoologist specializing in the field of acarology. He studied natural sciences at the University of Vienna, and from 1886 was associated with th ...

in 1892.

Description of the gall

Sometimes mistaken for a fungal infection, various species of mite develop irregular rust-like erineum; the commonest is caused by the apple leaf mite. The mites live and feed amongst minute, globular or wooly hairs on either side of the leaf, during the summer. The erineum are whitish-pink or red at first, later becoming rust-brown. Purple leaved varieties of ''M. sylvestris'' are particularly colourful. Infected leaves may fall in the late summer but the mites do not have a serious effect on the host tree. During the winter the mites are dormant living in the buds or under loose bark. The apple leaf mite is

monophagous A generalist species is able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make use of a variety of different resources (for example, a heterotroph with a varied diet). A specialist species can thrive only in a narrow range of env ...

on species of ''Malus'', including apple (''

Malus domestica An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

''), Hall crab apple ('' Malus halliana''), European crab apple (''

Malus sylvestris ''Malus sylvestris'', the European crab apple, is a species of the genus ''Malus'', native to Europe. Its scientific name means "forest apple" and the truly wild tree has thorns. Description Wild apple has an expanded crown and often appears mor ...

'') and ''Malus'' x ''purpurea''. In Britain the mite prefers crabapple and eating apple to cooking apples although Bramley's can have a heavy infestation.

References

Eriophyidae Animals described in 1892 Arachnids of Europe Galls Taxa named by Alfred Nalepa {{acari-stub