Eriophyidae

Eriophyidae
Eriophyes tiliae tiliae galls
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Subclass:	Acari
Order:	Trombidiformes
Superfamily:	Eriophyoidea
Family:	Eriophyidae Nalepa, 1898
Diversity
> 240 genera, > 3,500 species

Eriophyidae is a family of more than 200 genera of mites, which live as plant parasites, 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 tiny, 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.

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 blackberries
• Aceria chondrillae, the chondrilla gall mite, an agent of biological control against skeleton weed (Chondrilla juncea)
• Aceria guerreronis, a mite of coconuts
• Aceria malherbae, the bindweed gall mite, an agent of biological control against field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)
• Eriophyes padi, a mite that causes cherry pouch galls on black cherry trees

Selected genera

References

• Digital museum of Nature: Classification of Eriophyoid Mites
• Fauna Europaea
• Joel Hallan's Biology Catalog: Eriophyidae

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eriophyidae.

• Acalitus vaccinii, blueberry bud mite 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

v t e Acari (ticks and mites) Acariformes Trombidiformes Sphaerolichida Prostigmata Sarcoptiformes Endeostigmata Oribatida Parasitiformes Opilioacariformes Opilioacaridae Holothyrida Allothyridae Holothyridae Neothyridae Ixodida (ticks) Argasidae Ixodidae Nuttalliellidae Mesostigmata Sejida Sejoidea Trigynaspida Cercomegistoidea Antennophoroidea Celaenopsoidea Fedrizzioidea Megisthanoidea Parantennuloidea Aenictequoidea Monogynaspida Microgynioidea Heatherelloidea Thinozerconoidea Polyaspidoidea Uropodoidea Trachyuropodoidea Diarthrophalloidea Epicrioidea Zerconoidea Arctacaroidea Parasitoidea Veigaioidea Rhodacaroidea Eviphidoidea Ascoidea Phytoseioidea Dermanyssoidea