What are eriophyid mites? Eriophyid mites (family Eriophyidae)
affect a wide variety of plants and are known as gall, blister,
bud, or rust mites based on the abnormalities they cause in
their host plants. Galls are abnormal growths on a plant that
are often caused by plant hormones responding to irritation of
cells due to insect, mite, or nematode feeding - or infection
from fungi or bacteria.
Eriophyid mites live exclusively on plants and often develop and
overwinter inside leaf and flower buds. These mites are known for
causing a wide range of distortions such as flower and leaf galls as seen on coneflowers by the Coneflower Rosette Mite and maple bladder galls caused by the mite Vasates quadripedes. While this damage is largely aesthetic, other eriophyid mites cause economic damage when not controlled. The tomato russet mite (Aculops lycopersici) causes discoloration of leaves and fruit in greenhouse tomatoes.
Phyllocoptes fructiphilius transmits the Rose rosette virus to healthy rose plants causing life-long infection of plants with Rose Rosette Disease(RRD). Each mite is specific to its host plant.
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