Aculops

Aculops
Temporal range: Palaeogene–present
Willow gall mite (Aculops tetanothrix) on arroyo willow (Salix lasiolepis) Cache creek, Bear valley, CA
Willow gall mite (Aculops tetanothrix) on arroyo willow (Salix lasiolepis) Cache Creek, Bear Valley, CA
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Family: Eriophyidae
Genus: Aculops
Keifer, 1966
Species

Around 200 species see text

Synonyms
  • Pedaculops Manson, 1984
Galls of Aculops rhois on poison ivy

Aculops is a genus of parasitic plant mites in the family Eriophyidae. 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.[1] Very little is known about this genus, with new species constantly being discovered even in well covered regions such as New Zealand.[2]

  1. ^ Gardner, Richard Thomas (11 July 2008). Native and Indigenous Biocontrols for Ailanthus altissima (Thesis).
  2. ^ Han, Xiao; Zhang, ZHI-Qiang (2019). "A new genus and three new species of eriophyoid mites from New Zealand Coprosma (Rubiaceae)". Zootaxa. 4550: 101. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4550.1.4. PMID 30790878. S2CID 73484479.