Vermiform-mite
Guides
Aceria nyssae
Black Tupelo Gall Mite
Aceria nyssae is an eriophyid gall mite that induces distinctive leaf curl galls on Nyssa sylvatica (black tupelo, sour gum). The mite's feeding activity causes leaf margins to curl inward, forming hollow pockets that shelter the mites and their eggs. This species exemplifies the highly specialized host relationships typical of Eriophyoidea, where individual species are often restricted to a single plant host genus. The galls are most evident on young leaves at branch tips during the growing season. Like other eriophyid mites, A. nyssae is extremely small and difficult to observe directly, with populations typically assessed through gall symptoms rather than mite counts.