Wheat curl mite

Definition

A minute eriophyid mite, Aceria tosichella, that infests cereal crops worldwide and transmits wheat streak mosaic virus and wheat mosaic virus. Adults possess only two pairs of legs (typical of the family Eriophyidae) and feed within the whorls of developing wheat leaves, causing characteristic curling, stunting, and chlorotic streaking that reduces yield. The mite disperses passively on wind currents and via contaminated seed or machinery, making it a persistent threat in continuous wheat systems.

Etymology

Common name refers to the diagnostic leaf-curling symptom induced in infested wheat plants; 'mite' from Old English mīte, a small biting creature.

Example

In the Great Plains of North America, wheat curl mite populations surge during warm, dry autumns, enabling epidemic spread of wheat streak mosaic virus that can render entire fields unharvestable; control relies on resistant cultivars, delayed planting, and elimination of volunteer wheat and corn that serve as green bridges between growing seasons.

Synonyms

• Aceria tosichella

Related Terms

• eriophyid mite
• Vector
• wheat streak mosaic virus
• green bridge
• volunteer wheat
• gall mite

Usage Notes

The common name is often applied specifically to the virus-vectoring lineage within the A. tosichella species complex; morphologically similar non-vectoring populations may be cryptic species. In field diagnostics, leaf curling alone is insufficient for identification—mite presence requires microscopic confirmation or molecular assay. Contrast with spider mites (Tetranychidae), which have four pairs of legs as adults and produce visible webbing.