Virus-vectors
Guides
Aceria
gall mites, eriophyid mites, four-legged mites
Aceria is a large genus of eriophyid mites (family Eriophyidae) containing over 900 described species. These microscopic, worm-like arachnids are obligate plant parasites that induce distinctive plant growth abnormalities including galls, erinea, and witches' brooms. Some species are economically significant agricultural pests, while others have been deployed as biological control agents against invasive weeds. The genus exhibits extreme host specificity, with most species restricted to a single plant species or genus.
Aleyrodinae
whiteflies
Aleyrodinae is the largest subfamily of whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), containing the majority of described species. Members are small, sap-sucking insects with powdery white wax-coated wings in adults. The subfamily includes economically significant agricultural pests such as Bemisia tabaci and Aleurotrachelus trachoides, which cause damage through direct feeding and virus transmission. A field survey in Belize recorded nearly 200 whitefly species, with all but 40 belonging to Aleyrodinae.
Aphidini
Aphidini is a tribe of aphids within the subfamily Aphidinae, containing approximately 30 genera divided into two subtribes: Aphidina and Rhopalosiphina. The tribe includes economically significant genera such as Aphis (containing the black bean aphid and cotton aphid) and Rhopalosiphum (containing the bird cherry-oat aphid and green peach aphid). Members are small, soft-bodied sap-feeding insects with complex life cycles often involving host alternation between primary woody hosts and secondary herbaceous hosts.