''Abacarus sacchari'', also known as the sugarcane rust mite, is an

agricultural pest A pest is any organism harmful to humans or human concerns. The term is particularly used for creatures that damage crops, livestock, and forestry or cause a nuisance to people, especially in their homes. Humans have modified the environment fo ...

mite found mostly on

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of 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 stout, jointed, fib ...

plantations in

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Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

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, and southern Florida.

Description

Although it had been known about for decades prior to its discovery, though many specifics about the pathogen were unknown, the sugarcane rust mite was first discovered in the Everglades Agricultural Area, Florida, in 1982 and was rediscovered in 2007. The length of time until rediscovery may have been due to the mite's microscopic size, which made it easily confused with other diseases. It was also found in

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

, mostly affecting untreated plants in early August. Unconfirmed reports of the mite have been made in Australia as well. The onset of the mite is first visible in April, and it reaches its peak in August or September. When a plant is infected, it loses its green coloring and starts to obtain reddish-brown specks on the sugarcane leaf's primary vein. This is due to the mite's attack on the sugarcane's

chlorophyll Chlorophyll is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words (, "pale green") and (, "leaf"). Chlorophyll allows plants to absorb energy ...

, as well as interfering with the sugarcane's

photosynthesis Photosynthesis ( ) is a system of biological processes by which photosynthetic organisms, such as most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy, typically from sunlight, into the chemical energy necessary to fuel their metabo ...

transpiration Transpiration is the process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from aerial parts, such as leaves, stems and flowers. It is a passive process that requires no energy expense by the plant. Transpiration also cools plants, c ...

, and amount of

stomatal conductance Stomatal conductance, usually measured in mmol m−2 s−1 by a porometer, estimates the rate of gas exchange (i.e., carbon dioxide uptake) and transpiration (i.e., water loss as water vapor) through the leaf stomata as determined by the degree of ...

. The mites then continue to multiply on the plant's leaves. The severity of the mite's infection depends on the species of sugarcane it is infecting. The effect of it has been confused with the Pokka Boeng fungus. Because sugarcane plantations are often burned to make room for the next harvest, the rust mite must spread over long distances to ensure its survival. To move long distances, it relies on wind, although where the mites land is often dictated by chance. Out of the amount of mites found airborne, most were female.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4663141 Agricultural pest mites Eriophyidae Animals described in 1966 Arachnids of Africa Arachnids of South America