''Phyllocoptes goniothorax'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

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 evid ...

belonging to the genus ''

Phyllocoptes ''Phyllocoptes'' is a genus of acari, including the following species: * '' Phyllocoptes abaenus'' Keifer, 1940 * '' Phyllocoptes adalius'' Keifer, 1939 * '' Phyllocoptes alniborealis'' Liro, 1950 * '' Phyllocoptes alniincanae'' Roivainen, 1947 * ...

'', which causes

galls 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, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...

on the leaves of

hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

s (''Crataegus'' species). It was first described by

Alfred Nalepa Alfred Nalepa (19 December 1856, in Werschetz – 11 December 1929, in Baden bei Wien) was an Austrian zoologist specializing in the field of acarology. He studied natural sciences at the University of Vienna, and from 1886 was associated with th ...

in 1889.

Description

There are two types of galls on the leaves of hawthorns. The mites overwinter in a bud or in bark crevices, emerging to attack the new leaves as soon as the buds open, forming tight rolls on the edge of the leaves. The leaf can have many of these yellowish or red galls, which are hairy inside. The mite can also form an erineum on the underside of a leaf with reddish, violet or white hairs with swollen tips. The galls have been found on many different species of hawthorn, including, ''C. coccinoides'', ''C. laevigata, ''C. macrocarpa'', ''C. monogyna'', ''C. nigra'', ''C. rhipidophylla'' and ''C. sanguinea''.

Distribution

The mite is found in western Europe.

References

Eriophyidae Animals described in 1889 Arachnids of Europe Galls Taxa named by Alfred Nalepa {{acari-stub