Eriophyoidea
Eriophyoidea
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Subclass: Acari
- Superorder: Acariformes
- Order: Trombidiformes
- Suborder: Prostigmata
- Infraorder: Eleutherengona
- Superfamily: Eriophyoidea
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Eriophyoidea: /ˌɛriəʊfaɪˈɔɪdiə/
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Images
Summary
Eriophyoidea is a superfamily of small, herbivorous mites lacking third and fourth pairs of legs. They play significant roles as plant pests and are notable for their polymorphic female forms.
Physical Characteristics
Eriophyoids are no more than 0.5 mm long and usually 0.12 mm long or less. They have a long, wormlike (vermiform) body shape, but can occasionally be flattened or lobulate. The body and legs have reduced setation compared to other mites and are covered in rings (annuli). They are generally white to yellowish in color. Females have a genital flap behind the second pair of legs, while males have reduced genital flaps.
Identification Tips
Look for the characteristic wormlike body shape and reduced leg pairs. Adult females may show variations based on form, including red coloration in some deutogynes. The body is annulate and typically smaller than 0.5 mm in length.
Habitat
Eriophyoidea are primarily found on plants, being parasites that feed on various plant tissues.
Diet
Herbivorous, feeding on plant tissues; known as parasites on a wide range of host plants.
Life Cycle
Eriophyoidea can reproduce through both internal fertilization and arrhenotoky, where females can produce males without fertilization. Females lay spherical eggs.
Reproduction
Males deposit stalked spermatophores on plants, which are then captured and processed by females to store sperm in spermathecae. Females lay spherical eggs after fertilization.
Ecosystem Role
Eriophyoidea are important as plant parasites and can affect plant health, contributing to the transmission of plant diseases.
Economic Impact
Includes several important crop pests that can significantly impact agriculture by damaging crops and transmitting diseases.
Collecting Methods
- Sweep netting in areas with host plants
- Visual inspection of plants for symptoms and presence of mites
Preservation Methods
- Ethanol preservation
- Slide mounting in Canada balsam or similar medium
Evolution
Eriophyoidea are an ancient group with forms that are similar to modern ones found in Triassic amber, suggesting a long evolutionary history. They have been found to diverge before the clade containing Trombidiformes based on recent studies.
Similar Taxa
Misconceptions
Due to morphological similarities, protogyne and deutogyne females of some species can be mistaken for different species.
Tags
- arachnids
- mites
- plant pests
- herbivorous
- Eriophyoidea