ArticlePDF Available
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Short Communication Plant Protection Science
https://doi.org/10.17221/13/2024-PPS
Eriophyoidea is an economically important
group due to the direct damage they can cause to
their host (Van Leeuwen etal. 2010; de Lillo et al.
2018) and their ability to transmit plant diseases
increases their harmfulness (Oldeld & Proese-
ler 1996; Gamliel-Atinsky et al. 2010). Most are
monophagous and have intimate relationships with
their hosts; therefore, they are promising biological
control agents in weed management (Smith etal.
2010; Marini etal. 2021).
To date, thirteen species of eriophyid mites have
been described on Ambrosia spp. e species were
summarized by Vidović etal. (2016). Ten of them
have been described in the native range of Am-
Supported by the Scientic Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic
VEGA 1/0467/22; the Slovak Agency for Research and Development under Contract No. SK-SRB-21-0045; Serbian Ministry
of Education and Science under Serbian-Slovakia bilateral project No. 451-03-43/2022-09/16, and by Ministry of Science,
Technological Development, and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia (Contract No. 451-03-47/2023-01/200010; Contract
No. 451-03-47/2023-01/200116).
Aceria artemisiifoliae Vidović & Petanović (Acari:
Eriophyoidea) on common ragweed – the second record
in the world
P T1, M T2* , N A3,
S M4, T C4, B V3
1International Network of Eco-Regions (IN.N.E.R.), Salerno, Italy
2Institute of Agronomic Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources,
Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic
3 Department of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, Belgrade-Zemun,
University of Belgrade, Serbia
4Institute for Plant Protection and Environment, Belgrade, Serbia
*Corresponding author: monika.tothova@uniag.sk
Citation: Tóth P., Tóthová M., Andjelković N., Marinković S., Cvrković T., Vidović B. (2024): Aceria artemisiifoliae Vidović
& Petanović (Acari: Eriophyoidea) on common ragweed – the second record in the world. Plant Protect. Sci.
Abstract: Common ragweed – Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. (Asteraceae) is an invasive plant species in Europe native
to North America. Most of the records of known eriophyid mites on dierent ragweed species are from their native
range. Our eld experiments in Slovakia, 2016–2023, aimed to identify specic species feeding on common ragweed.
We searched for symptomatic plants and collected growing tips, which were then preserved in 70% ethanol for further
study. A recently described species of eriophyid mite, Aceria artemisiifoliae Vidović & Petanović (Acari: Eriophyoidea),
was found in western and eastern Slovakia. is is the rst record of the species in Slovakia and the second record in
the world. It remains unclear whether this species is invasive like Ambrosia, and whether it could be used as a potential
biological control agent.
Keywords: eriophyid mite; new record; invasive species; Ambrosia artemisiifolia; leafy rosette
© e authors. is work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).
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brosia spp. – in North America [Aceria ambro-
siae Wilson, 1959, A. ambrosioides Keifer, 1966,
A. astibonis Keifer, 1960, A. boycei (Keifer, 1943),
A. caborcensis Keifer, 1965, A. franseriae Wilson &
Oldeld, 1966, A. potosensis (Keifer, 1976), Aculus
ambrosiae (Keifer, 1943), Paraphytoptus pannolus
Keifer, 1962, and Heterotergum schlingeri Wilson &
Oldeld, 1966)], and only one each from Cuba (Eri-
ophyes ambrosiae Cook, 1906), Georgia  former
USSR (Aceria izhevskii Livshits, Mitrofanov and
Sharonov, 1983) and Serbia (Aceria artemisiifoliae
Vidović & Petanović, 2016).
ere are three types of lifestyles in eriophyid
mites: vagrant or free-living, gall-inducing or ref-
uge creating and refuge-seeking. Vagrant species
of Eriophyoidea usually do not cause any visible
damage. However, when their population density
is high, they can cause russeting, bronzing, silver-
ing or chlorosis of infested plant parts (Westphal
& Manson 1996; Petanović & Kielkiewicz 2010b).
ese supercial symptoms are less diverse and
less specic than those of gall-inducing species.
Galls induced by eriophyids are extremely diverse
in shape, size, and colour (Westphal 1992; West-
phal & Manson 1996). ey provide nutrition and
protection from predators and adverse external
conditions (Desnitskiy etal. 2023). Refuge-seeking
eriophyids sequester themselves, e.g. in leaf axils,
in leaf glands, or even squeeze through leaf sto-
mata to feed and reproduce in the mesophyll lay-
er (Chetverikov 2004; Oldeld 2005; Petanović &
Kielkiewicz 2010b). Eriophyid mites pass through
two immature stages – larva (1st instar) and nymph
(2nd instar). Aquiescent (resting) period exists be-
tween larva and nymph, nymph and adult. Imma-
tures usually resemble adults but are smaller. Some
species have two types of females – protogyne and
deutogyne (Manson & Oldeld 1996). Deutogyne
is the secondary female that promotes survival in
adverse conditions (Krantz & Ehrensing 1990). e
crucial factor for survival and reproduction is the
proper host plant. e only active mode of disper-
sal of eriophyids is limited by ambulatory move-
ment within the plant or by the movement to the
other plant upon contact. Passive modes of disper-
sal are their transport by airows, rain, and phoresy
on animal carriers. Carrier dispersal is arandom
behaviour in eriophyid mites (Lindquist & Oldeld
1996; Michalska et al. 2010). e most common
transport by airow means a considerable risk of
nding asuitable host plant (Sabelis & Bruin 1996).
Eriophyoidea are among the smallest arthropods,
measuring 86–500 µm in length. ey are often invis-
ible to the naked eye and the symptoms are usually
only seen in large populations (Lindquist etal. 1996).
eir microscopic size and the tendency to hide with-
in plant structures make them dicult to intercept.
erefore, eriophyids have ahigh potential to be an
adventive mite species (Navia etal. 2010).
METHODS
Symptomatic common ragweed plants with
apotential presence of eriophyid mites were col-
lected from dierent habitats in Slovakia. e
eld surveys were carried out at irregular intervals
from July to September 2016–2023. e collected
growing tips of Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. with
eriophyid mites were kept in sealed sample bottles
containing 70% ethanol. e plant material was
sent to Serbia. e mites were removed from the
plant samples by direct examination under aste-
reomicroscope in the laboratory. Mite specimens
were mounted in Heinz's medium (Dobrivojević
& Petanović 1982) and then examined using an
OLYMPUS BX53 research microscope with phase
contrast and measured using the software package
cell Sens Entry 2 (SC-EN-V2) on the same micro-
scope. All examined material was deposited in the
Acarology Collection, Department of Entomology
and Agricultural Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Belgrade, Serbia.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Vagrant eriophyid mite Aceria artemisiifoliae in-
dividuals (Figures 1 and 2) were found on Ambrosia
artemisiifolia L. (Asteraceae) plants at ve localities
in the west and east parts of south Slovakia (Table 1).
Symptomatic plants were observed in twelve other
localities, except for the central part. e presence
of the eriophyid mite on asymptomatic plants was
not investigated. e morphological characteristics
of male and female protogyne and deutogyne were
the same as in the original description by Vidović
etal. (2016). A. artemisiifoliae lives on the surface
of the aboveground plant organs between the tri-
chomes, preferably in terminal buds and male and
female reproductive organs (Vidović et al. 2016).
In Slovakia, symptoms were most pronounced just
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before inorescence development in early July. e
most prominent symptoms were stunting and yel-
lowing or pale greening of the leaves at the grow-
ing tips and their close clustering, forming aleafy
rosette (Figures 3, 4 and 5). Later, inconspicuous
desiccation of the tip of developing male inores-
cence emerging from the apex was observed. e
symptomatic plants showed signs of suppression of
apical dominance (Figure 6). Young, soft, and meri-
stematic tissues are the most favoured, probably
because of their high nutritional value (Petanović
& Kielkiewicz 2010a). e feeding of vagrant spe-
cies often results in russeting (or other discoloura-
tion) of the damaged tissue due to their short che-
liceral stylets (Lindquist etal. 1996). According to
Vidović etal. (2016), the eriophyid mite A. artemi-
siifoliae destroyed only the rst layer of protoder-
mal or epidermal cells of developing inorescence,
causing symptoms like leaf russeting. Although the
damage was supercial, it contributed to Serbia's
delayed development of inorescence and length
reduction. Apart from the direct damage caused by
piercing, chemicals in the saliva of eriophyid mites
are thought to cause local changes in the metabo-
lism and balance of plant hormones (Chetverikov
et al. 2015). Delayed inorescence development
may be aresult of these hormonal changes.
is is the world's only second record of the
A.artemisiifoliae mite. However, based on our ob-
servations, we believe that it is at least present in
neighbouring countries, as the symptomatic plants
were also observed in Italy around Milan in 2016
(Busto Arsizio, Corbetta, Magenta, and Magnago)
and western Hungary in 2021 (Kiscsősz, Csót, Ba-
glad and Lenti). Information on the biology, ecol-
ogy, and seasonal development of A. artemisiifoliae
is lacking. Eriophyid mites are known to be highly
host-specic and monophagous (de Lillo et al.
2018). Vagrant species living on annual host plants
can theoretically have wide or narrow host ranges.
Awider host range usually means congeneric plant
species with similar plant chemistry (Skoracka etal.
2010). A. artemisiifolia is the annual host plant of
the eriophyid mite A. artemisiifoliae and other con-
Figure 1. Aceria artemisiifoliae  prodorsal shield (photo
Nikola Andjelković)
Figure 2. Aceria artemisiifoliae  5-rayed empodium on
the legs (photo Nikola Andjelković)
No. Location GPS Date No. of specimens
1Malá nad Hronom 47°51'23"N 18°40'44"E August 30, 2016 ≈ 10 Eriophyid mites
Malá nad Hronom 47°51'23"N 18°40'44"E September 28, 2022 ≈ 190 Eriophyid mites
2 Sikenička 47°55'43"N 18° 41'34"E August 30, 2016 ≈ 15 Eriophyid mites
3 Strážne 48°22'23"N 21° 50'47"E August 25, 2016 ≈ 10 Eriophyid mites
4Veľký Horeš 48°22'22"N 21° 54'10"E August 25, 2016 ≈ 10 Eriophyid mites
5 Malé Trakany 48°24'02"N 22° 07'56"E August 26, 2016 ≈ 20 Eriophyid mites
Table 1. Locations with recorded and determined Aceria artemisiifoliae (Acari: Eriophyoidea) on common ragweed
(Ambrosia artemissiifolia) in Slovakia
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eriophyid mite can reduce the reproductive capacity
of Ambrosia directly (Vidović etal. 2016) and likely
also indirectly, as it belongs to the group of mites that
transmit viruses (Oldeld & Proeseler 1996, Smith
etal. 2010; de Lillo etal. 2018). e species can be
considered as a potential biological control agent.
However, further extensive research is needed to fully
understand its biology, ecology, virulence, and the ef-
fectiveness of natural enemies.
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Accepted: March 19, 2024
Published online: April 9, 2024
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.
Article
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Citation: Desnitskiy, A.G.; Chetverikov, P.E.; Ivanova, L.A.; Kuzmin, I.V.; Ozman-Sullivan, S.K.; Sukhareva, S.I. Molecular Aspects of Gall Formation Induced by Mites and Insects. Life 2023, 13, 1347. https:// Abstract: Recent publications on gall formation induced on the leaves of dicotyledonous flowering plants by eriophyoid mites (Eriophyoidea) and representatives of four insect orders (Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera) are analyzed. Cellular and molecular level data on the stimuli that induce and sustain the development of both mite and insect galls, the expression of host plant genes during gallogenesis, and the effects of these galling arthropods on photosynthesis are considered. A hypothesis is proposed for the relationship between the size of galls and the volume of secretions injected by a parasite. Multistep, varying patterns of plant gene expression and accompanying histo-morphological changes in the transformed gall tissues are apparent. The main obstacle to better elucidating the nature of the induction of gallogenesis is the impossibility of collecting a sufficient amount of saliva for analysis, which is especially important in the case of microscopic eriophyoids. The use of modern omics technologies at the organismal level has revealed a spectrum of genetic mechanisms of gall formation at the molecular level but has not yet answered the questions regarding the nature of gall-inducing agents and the features of events occurring in plant cells at the very beginning of gall growth.
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This chapter deals with the damage caused by mites, discusses the structure and functioning of their mouthparts, and analyses plant damage at the cellular level. All plant parts, except the roots, may be attacked by eriophyoid mites. Eriophyoid mites are highly specific; they live and multiply only on susceptible host plant species that are usually closely related. These compatible interactions lead to a great variety of well-documented plant symptoms. . The presence of dead cells as a result of mite feeding activities has been noticed in almost all mite galls and in russeting. But the occurrence of a peculiar cell death of punctured cells was only established recently. The main role imputed to chitosan as an exogenous elicitor in this process does not exclude eventual effects of other molecules coming from the injured cell wall itself, and therefore considered as endogenous elicitors. These substances may act alone or are synergized and trigger the host cell response. Cell-to-cell communication is set in motion and defined biochemical, physiological, cytological, and morphological processes determine the plant–mite interaction.
Article
Among the Acari, only the Eriophyoidea are important vectors of plant pathogens. Currently, about a dozen plant diseases are known to be caused by the agents that are transmitted by eriophyoids and all currently recognized vector species belong to one family, the Eriophyidae. The relationship between eriophyid vector and transmitted agent is highly specific. No plant pathogen is known to be transmitted by the members of any other taxa, nor by more than one species of eriophyid. Although evidence exists that both of the grass-infesting species, Aceria tulipae Keifer and Abacarus hystrix Nalepa, transmit more than one pathogen, the vectors of broad-leafed plant pathogens each transmit just one agent, and each pathogen of woody plants is transmitted by just one species of eriophyid. Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) and its vector, A. tulipae, are found worldwide. Fig mosaic and its vector, Aceria ficus, occur wherever figs are grown commercially. The other pathogens of woody broad-leafed plants and their eriophyid vectors are limited regionally and are absent from the major areas where their hosts are grown.