Acalitus brevitarsus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Family: | Eriophyidae |
Genus: | Acalitus |
Species: | A. brevitarsus |
Binomial name | |
Acalitus brevitarsus (Fockeu, 1890) | |
Synonyms | |
List
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Acalitus brevitarsus is an eriophyid mite which induces domed, blister like swellings, known as galls, on some species of alder ( Alnus species).
A pale, slightly domed swelling on the upper surface, which is induced by mites living and feeding within erineum (hairs), on the lower surface. The hairs are white or yellowish at first, later rust-brown and when viewed with a hand lens, the erineum look like a mat of shiny, glass-like hairs. In the autumn the mites spend the winter in old cones and bark crevices. [1] [2]
This gall is found on Italian alder ( Alnus cordata ), European alder ( Alnus glutinosa ), grey alder ( Alnus incana ), Alnus x pubescens and Alnus viridis . [3]
A fungus, Taphrina sadebeckii , can look similar on the upper surface. [4]
Found in Europe from Spain to Russia including the Balkans. [5]
Alnus glutinosa, the common alder, black alder, European alder, European black alder, or just alder, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to most of Europe, southwest Asia and northern Africa. It thrives in wet locations where its association with the bacterium Frankia alni enables it to grow in poor quality soils. It is a medium-sized, short-lived tree growing to a height of up to 30 metres (98 feet). It has short-stalked rounded leaves and separate male and female flowers in the form of catkins. The small, rounded fruits are cone-like and the seeds are dispersed by wind and water.
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 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.
Taphrina alni is a fungal plant pathogen that causes alder tongue gall, a chemically induced distortion of female alder catkins.
Taphrina pruni is a fungal plant pathogen of blackthorn that causes the pocket or bladder plum gall, a chemically induced distortion of the fruit (sloes), producing swollen on one side, otherwise deformed and flattened fruit gall without a stone. The twigs on infected plants may also be deformed with small strap-shaped leaves.
Taphrina padi is a fungal plant pathogen that induces the form of pocket plum gall that occurs on bird cherry. The gall is a chemically induced distortion of the fruits, which are swollen, hollow, curved and greatly elongated, without a seed or stone, but retaining the style. The twigs on infected plants may also be deformed with small strap-shaped leaves.
Acalitus is a genus of mites in the family Eriophyidae. These cosmopolitan, microscopic arthropods form galls on various plants, and some species such as Acalitus essigi and Acalitus vaccinii are pests of agricultural significance associated with berry crops. This genus includes the following species:
Eriophyes inangulis is a mite that forms the alder vein angle gall. It develops in a chemically induced gall; a sub-spherical distortion rising up from the upper surface of the leaves of alder trees Alnus glutinosa along the midrib. Synonyms are Eriophyes laevis inangulis, Phytoptus laevis, and Cephaloneon pustulatum.
Euura salicispurpureae is a species of sawfly belonging to the family Tenthredinidae. It was first described by Jens-Peter Kopelke in 2014. The larvae feed within galls on willows. E. salicispurpureae is one of a number of closely related species known as the Euura atra subgroup.
Aculus craspedobius is a species of mite which causes galls on the leaves of willows. It was first described by Alfred Nalepa in 1925.
Aculus laevis is a species of mite which causes galls on the leaves of sallows. It was first described by Alfred Nalepa in 1892.
Phyllocoptes goniothorax is a species of mite belonging to the genus Phyllocoptes, which causes galls on the leaves of hawthorns. It was first described by Alfred Nalepa in 1889.
Eriophyes laevis is a gall mite which makes small, pimple-like galls on the leaves of alder. The mite was first described by the Austrian zoologist, Alfred Nalepa in 1889 and is found in Europe and North America.
Taphrina tosquinetii is a fungal plant pathogen that causes large blisters on both surfaces of the leaves of alder.
Phyllocoptes malinus, also known as the apple leaf mite, is a species of mite belonging to the genus Phyllocoptes. It causes a gall, which is a swelling on the external tissues, on the leaves of apples. The mite is found in Europe and was first described by the Austrian zoologist Alfred Nalepa in 1892.
Acalitus plicans is an eriophyid mite which causes galls on beech. It is found in Europe and was first described by the Austrian zoologist Alfred Nalepa in 1917.
Acalitus stenaspis is an eriophyid mite which causes galls on beech. It is found in Europe and was first described by the Austrian zoologist Alfred Nalepa in 1891.
Aceria nervisequa is a species of mite that belongs to the family Eriophyidae. It is found in Europe and was first described by Giovanni Canestrini in 1891. The mite causes galls on the leaves of beech,
Taphrina betulina is a fungal plant pathogen that causes the gall, witches broom, which is a chemical infection of birch buds or the developing shoots, leading to a proliferation of growth. It was first described by Emil Rostrup in 1883 and is found in Europe, New Zealand and North America.
Acalitus calycophthirus is an eriophyid mite which causes big bud galls on birch twigs. It is found in Europe and was first described by the Austrian zoologist, Alfred Nalepa in 1891.
Acalitus ferrugineum is a species of eriophyid mite. This microscopic organism induces erineum galls on the leaves of American beech, and is known from the United States and Canada.
Media related to Acalitus brevitarsus at Wikimedia Commons