Galls or cecidia 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 benign tumors or warts in animals. They can be caused by various parasites, from viruses, fungi and bacteria, to other plants, insects and mites. Plant galls are often highly organized structures so that the cause of the gall can often be determined without the actual agent being identified. This applies particularly to some insect and mite plant galls. The study of plant galls is known as cecidology.
Mites are small arachnids.
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.
Fuchsia magellanica, commonly known as the hummingbird fuchsia or hardy fuchsia, is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family Onagraceae, native to the lower Southern Cone of southern South America.
Aceria is a genus of mites belonging to the family Eriophyidae, the gall mites. These tiny animals are parasites of plants. Several species can cause blistering and galls, including erineum galls. A few are economically significant pests, while others are useful as agents of biological pest control of invasive plants such as rush skeletonweed, creeping thistle, and field bindweed.
Rabdophaga rosaria is a gall midge which forms Camellia galls or terminal rosette gall on willow species. It was first described by Hermann Loew in 1850.
Eriophyes tiliae is a mite that forms the lime nail gall or bugle gall. It develops in a chemically induced gall; an erect, oblique or curved distortion rising up from the upper surface of the leaves of the common lime (linden) tree Tilia × europaea.
Eriophyes is a genus of acari that forms galls, specially on trees of the family Rosaceae. Some are called blister mites. The blue butterfly Celastrina serotina has been reported to feed on these galls and also on the mites, making it one of the uncommon carnivorous Lepidoptera.
Aculops fuchsiae, commonly known as fuchsia gall mite, is a species of mite in the family Eriophyidae. It feeds on Fuchsia plants, causing distortion of growing shoots and flowers. It is regarded as a horticultural pest.
Aculus gemmarum is a species of mite which causes galls on the buds of willows. It was first described by Alfred Nalepa in 1892.
Rabdophaga albipennis is a gall midge which forms galls on the shoots of white willow.
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 magnirostris is a species of mite which causes galls on the leaves of willows. It was first described by Alfred Nalepa in 1892.
Aculus truncatus is a species of mite which causes galls on the leaves of purple willow. It was first described by Alfred Nalepa in 1892.
Aculus tetanothrix is a species of mite which causes galls on the leaves of willows. It was first described by Alfred Nalepa in 1889.
Aculus laevis is a species of mite which causes galls on the leaves of sallows. It was first described by Alfred Nalepa in 1892.
Aceria iteina is a species of mite which causes galls on the leaves of sallows and their hybrids. It was first described by Alfred Nalepa in 1925.
Aculops is a genus of mites that belongs to the family Eriophyidae that live as plant parasites. Some species, such as Aculops lycopersici, are severe crop or ornamental pests, while Aculops ailanthii is being considered as biocontrol for the extremely invasive tree-of-heaven in North America. Very little is known about this genus, with new species constantly being discovered even in well covered regions such as New Zealand.
Aculops ailanthii, the Ailanthus leafcurl mite, is a species of eriophyid mite that infects trees-of-heaven. Very little is known about this species. A. ailanthii has been proposed as a potential biocontrol alongside ailanthus webworms and mimosa wilt in North America, where Ailanthus is a severe invasive.
