Eriophyidae is a family of more than 200 genera of

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as eac ...

s, which live as

plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

parasite Parasitism is a Symbiosis, close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the Host (biology), host, causing it some harm, and is Adaptation, adapted str ...

s, commonly causing

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. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to benign tumors or war ...

s 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 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 ...

rust mite *'' Acalitus essigi'', the redberry mite, which affects

blackberries BlackBerry is a discontinued brand of handheld devices and related mobile services, originally developed and maintained by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM, later known as BlackBerry Limited) until 2016. The first BlackBerry device ...

*'' Aceria chondrillae'', the chondrilla gall mite, an agent of biological control against skeleton weed ('' Chondrilla juncea'') *'' Aceria guerreronis'', a mite of

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

s *'' Aceria malherbae'', the bindweed gall mite, an agent of biological control against field bindweed ('' Convolvulus arvensis'') *''

Cecidophyopsis ribis ''Cecidophyopsis ribis'' is an eriophyid mite which is best known for being a plant parasite, a pest of ''Ribes'' species, the genus that includes gooseberries and blackcurrants. It is commonly known as the blackcurrant gall mite or big bud mi ...

'', 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 species may be known as various kinds of currants, such as redcurrants, blackcurrants, and White ...

'' *'' Eriophyes padi'', a mite that causes cherry pouch galls on black cherry trees

Selected genera

*'' Abacarus'' *'' Aberoptus'' *'' Acalitus'' *'' Acaphylla'' *'' Acaphyllisa'' *'' Acaralox'' *'' Acarelliptus'' *'' Acaricalus'' *'' Aceria'' *'' 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'' *'' 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