Aceria | |
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Colored SEM of Aceria anthocoptes (rust mite) White bar is 30 µm. | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Family: | Eriophyidae |
Genus: | Aceria Keifer, 1944 |
Species | |
900+, see text |
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.[1] A few are economically significant pests, while others are useful as agents of biological pest control of invasive plants such as rush skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea), creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense), and field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis).
There are over 900 species in the genus.[2])
In 2017, a new species, Aceria pycnocomi was found on Pycnocomon rutifolium in Spain.[3]