Eriophyidae is a family of more than 200 genera of mites, which live as plant parasites, commonly causing galls 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 tiny, 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.

Notable species include:

• Abacarus hystrix, the cereal rust mite
• Abacarus sacchari, the sugarcane rust mite
• Acalitus essigi, the redberry mite — attacks blackberries
• Aceria chondrillae, the chondrilla gall mite — agent of biological control against skeleton weed (Chondrilla juncea)
• Aceria malherbae, the bindweed gall mite — agent of biological control against field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)
• Eriophyes guerreronis — causes mandari disease of coconuts

Selected genera

References

• Digital museum of Nature: Classification of Eriophyoid Mites
• Fauna Europaea
• 's Biology Catalog: Eriophyidae

External Links

• Acalitus vaccinii, blueberry bud mite 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