Baccharis-associate
Guides
Aceria baccharices
Mule Fat Blister Mite, mulefat leaf-blister mite
Aceria baccharices is an eriophyid mite species native to North America that induces distinctive leaf galls on two host plants in the genus Baccharis. First described by Hartford H. Keifer in 1945, this microscopic arachnid creates warty, protruding galls on leaf surfaces that serve as protected nurseries for developing mite populations. The species exhibits strong host specificity, with populations in northern California associated primarily with Baccharis salicifolia and southern populations utilizing Baccharis glutinosa. Adults eventually exit the galls through anterior holes, which may remain visible on the leaf surface.
Stenaspis verticalis
Stenaspis verticalis is a species of longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by Audinet-Serville in 1834. It belongs to the tribe Trachyderini, a group known for robust, often strikingly patterned beetles. Field observations indicate this species is closely associated with Baccharis sarothroides (desert broom), on which adults have been found resting and mating. The species occurs in the southwestern United States and Mexico, with documented records from Arizona and potentially extending into Central America.