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Content uploaded by Peter Toth
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1
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 etal. 2010; de Lillo et al.
2018) and their ability to transmit plant diseases
increases their harmfulness (Oldeld & 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 etal.
2010; Marini etal. 2021).
To date, thirteen species of eriophyid mites have
been described on Ambrosia spp. e species were
summarized by Vidović etal. (2016). Ten of them
have been described in the native range of Am-
Supported by the Scientic 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 T1, M T2* , N A3,
S M4, T C4, B V3
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 dierent ragweed species are from their native
range. Our eld experiments in Slovakia, 2016–2023, aimed to identify specic 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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Short Communication Plant Protection Science
https://doi.org/10.17221/13/2024-PPS
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 &
Oldeld, 1966, A. potosensis (Keifer, 1976), Aculus
ambrosiae (Keifer, 1943), Paraphytoptus pannolus
Keifer, 1962, and Heterotergum schlingeri Wilson &
Oldeld, 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 supercial symptoms are less diverse and
less specic 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 etal. 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; Oldeld 2005; Petanović &
Kielkiewicz 2010b). Eriophyid mites pass through
two immature stages – larva (1st instar) and nymph
(2nd instar). Aquiescent (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 & Oldeld 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 airows, rain, and phoresy
on animal carriers. Carrier dispersal is arandom
behaviour in eriophyid mites (Lindquist & Oldeld
1996; Michalska et al. 2010). e most common
transport by airow means a considerable risk of
nding asuitable 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 etal. 1996).
eir microscopic size and the tendency to hide with-
in plant structures make them dicult to intercept.
erefore, eriophyids have ahigh potential to be an
adventive mite species (Navia etal. 2010).
METHODS
Symptomatic common ragweed plants with
apotential presence of eriophyid mites were col-
lected from dierent 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 aste-
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
etal. (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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Short Communication Plant Protection Science
https://doi.org/10.17221/13/2024-PPS
before inorescence 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 aleafy
rosette (Figures 3, 4 and 5). Later, inconspicuous
desiccation of the tip of developing male inores-
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 etal. 1996). According to
Vidović etal. (2016), the eriophyid mite A. artemi-
siifoliae destroyed only the rst layer of protoder-
mal or epidermal cells of developing inorescence,
causing symptoms like leaf russeting. Although the
damage was supercial, it contributed to Serbia's
delayed development of inorescence 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 inorescence development
may be aresult 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-specic and monophagous (de Lillo et al.
2018). Vagrant species living on annual host plants
can theoretically have wide or narrow host ranges.
Awider host range usually means congeneric plant
species with similar plant chemistry (Skoracka etal.
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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Short Communication Plant Protection Science
https://doi.org/10.17221/13/2024-PPS
eriophyid mite can reduce the reproductive capacity
of Ambrosia directly (Vidović etal. 2016) and likely
also indirectly, as it belongs to the group of mites that
transmit viruses (Oldeld & Proeseler 1996, Smith
etal. 2010; de Lillo etal. 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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Received: January 22, 2024
Accepted: March 19, 2024
Published online: April 9, 2024