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 e ...

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 exclu ...

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 galls 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'', the cereal rust mite *'' Abacarus sacchari'', the sugarcane 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'', a mite of coconuts *'' Aceria malherbae'', 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'', 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 ...

'' *'' 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 ...

trees

Selected genera

*'' Abacarus'' *'' Aberoptus'' *'' Acalitus'' *'' 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'' *'' Gilarovella'' *'' Glyptacus'' *'' Keiferella'' *'' Leipothrix'' *'' Liroella'' *'' Mesalox'' *'' Metaculus'' *'' Monochetus'' *'' Neooxycenus'' *'' Neotegonotus'' *'' Oxycenus'' *'' Paraphytoptus'' *''" Pentamerus"'' Roivainen, 1951 (''non'' Sowerby, 1813: preoccupied) *'' Phyllocoptes'' *'' Phyllocoptruta'' *'' Platyphytoptus'' *'' Reckella'' *'' Shevtchenkella'' *'' Stenacis'' *'' Tegolophus'' *'' Tegonotus'' *'' Tegoprionus'' *''

Tetra Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA; formerly known as Trans-European Trunked Radio), a European standard for a trunked radio system, is a professional mobile radio and two-way transceiver specification. TETRA was specifically designed for use by ...

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

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