Major mite taxa

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Taxonomy

updated 2025

Common names

gall mites, blister mites, bud mites, rust mites, erinose mites, eriophyoids

Probability of encounter

very high

Quarantine importance

Very high. The Eriophyoidea contains many important pests of crops, including species that transmit plant diseases, especially viruses.

Diagnosis

Minute, wormlike, fusiform, or rarely flattened or lobulate mites with annulate bodies bearing only 2 pairs of legs; body usually 0.12 mm long or less (rarely to 0.5 mm) and white to yellowish. Palps minute, weakly 4-segmented, closely appressed to stylets, truncate apically; mouthparts composed of 7–9 minute stylets encased in infracapitular gutter. Prodorsal shield present and bearing 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 setae; trichobothria absent. Peritremes absent; naso absent; distinct eyes absent. Opisthosoma annulate, setation reduced (maximum = 7 pairs of 'dorsal' setae: c1, c2, d, e, f, h1, h2 and 4 pairs of coxisternal setae: 1b, 1a, 2a, 3a [=genital seta].) Leg setation highly reduced (maximum of 0–1–1–1–3 setae on trochanter, femur, genu, tibia, tarsus, respectively); tarsus without lateral claws, empodium in form of highly branched featherclaw. Females have a genital flap posterior to coxae of legs II and lay spherical eggs; genital papillae absent. Males have reduced genital flaps and produce stalked spermatophores.

Key to Eriophyoidea

Eriophyoidea fact sheet index

Similar taxa

Immature Tarsonemidae have 3 pairs of legs and a gnathosomal capsule. Nematalycidae have 4 pairs of legs in post-larval instars.

Ecology and distribution

The Eriophyoidea (gall and rust mites) consists of more than 3,500 described species in >300 genera, all of which are plant parasites. Most are tiny vermiform animals and bear only two pairs of legs in all active stages (larva, nymph and adult). Some species have two adult female forms, a normal feeding form (protogyne) and an overwintering or otherwise aestivating form (deutogyne).

References

• Amrine 1996aAmrine 1996a:
  Amrine JW, Jr. 1996a. Keys to the world genera of the Eriophyoidea. Indira Publishing House, West Bloomfield, Michigan.
• Amrine and Stasny 1994Amrine and Stasny 1994:
  Amrine JW, Jr., Stasny TA. 1994. Catalog of the Eriophyoidea (Acarina: Prostigmata) of the world. Indira Publishing House, West Boomfield, Michigan.
• Kethley 1982aKethley 1982a:
  Kethley JB. 1982a. Acariformes. pp. 120–123. In: Parker SP, ed. Synopsis and classification of living organisms, Vol. 2. McGraw-Hill, New York.
• Krantz 1978Krantz 1978:
  Krantz GW. 1978. A manual of acarology [2nd ed.]. Oregon State University Book Stores, Corvallis.
• Lindquist et al. 1996Lindquist et al. 1996:
  Lindquist EE, Sabelis MW, Bruin J, eds. 1996. Eriophyid Mites: Their biology, natural enemies and control. World Crop Pests, Vol. 6. Elsevier, Amsterdam.

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