Eriophyoid mites are a diverse group of phytophagous mites that can transmit plant pathogens. Some key plant diseases transmitted by eriophyoid mites include wheat streak mosaic disease transmitted by Aceria tosichella, fig mosaic disease transmitted by Aceria ficus, and rose rosette disease transmitted by Phyllocoptes fructiphilus. Eriophyoid mites acquire and transmit viruses in a circulative, non-persistent manner between plant hosts. They have attributes that make them highly efficient vectors, such as short acquisition periods, ability to transmit between life stages, and high reproduction rates. Further research on eriophyoid mite vector and plant pathogen interactions could

1. Eriophyoid Mites as Vector of Plant Pathogens
By
Eid Muhammad Khan
Ph.D. Student
(441106537)
(Acarology Research Laboratory
Department of Plant Protection)
Seminar-2 (PLPT-695)
Date; 28/04/2021

2. Introduction
• Most diverse & specialized phytophagous mite
group
• Elongate, Vermiform & Two pairs of legs
• Short chelicera with many stylets
• Significant economic importance
• Tomato rust mites, Citrus rust mites, Wheat
curl mites etc.
• Mostly Host & Pathogen specific
• Circulative and non-persistent mode of
transmission
• Wheat streak mosaic disease, fig mosaic
disease, Rose rosette diseases etc.
Helle & Wysoki, 1996; Lindquist et al., 1996; Stanger et al., 2016
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Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus symptom caused by Aceria tosichella

3. Eriophyoidea
1. Eriophyidae 2. Phytoptidae 3. Diptilomiopidae
 12 pathogens transmitted by 11 sp.,
belonging 7 gen., and 3 subfamilies
 Eriophyinae, Phyllocoptinae and
Cecidophyinae
 Mostly viruses detected and studied
 Rymovirus, Tritimovirus, Alexivirus
 No published data & never suspected
 Due to scarce investigation, minute size,
difficult to culture and lack of interest
 Collaboration of Acarologist, Plant biologist,
Virologist could clarify and detect
 Might be new techniques and new
instruments help to identify
3
Rodrigues and Childers, 2013;Sarwar, 2020

4. Eriophyoid Being a Successful Vector
• Many Plant virus dependent on vector
• - Survival, Transmission and Spread
• Two way of specificity of Eriophyoid (Both host plant &
viruses)
• All stages acquire & infect except egg
• Parthenogenesis reproduction and frequent dispersibility
• Rapid development and high fecundity rate
• Acquire & persist for few hour to many days
Olfield, 1996; Lindquist et al., 1996; Michalska et al., 2010 4
Aceria tosichella on Wheat
Aceria tosichella

5. Feeding Habit & Transmission
• Feeding Mechanism
- Remove flatted wax with rostra
- Pierce epidermis cell mechanically with stylets
- Fix the labrum and uptake the cell content
- Inject saliva into cells
• Effects
- Influence host at cellular level
- Epidermal cell rapidly collapse & massive
destruction
• Two Principal mode of Transmission
Circulative transmission
Non circulative transmission
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Olfield, 1970, 1996
Gnathosoma structure
Eriophyoid feeding on plant surface

6. Species Name Common name Plant host Virus transmitted Virus family/genus
Aceria tosichella Wheat curl mite Wheat, several grasses Wheat streak mosaic virus,
Wheat mosaic virus, Brome
streak mosaic virus
Potyviridae/Tritimovirus
Aceria ficus Fig bud mites Fig Fig mosaic virus Unassigned/Emaravirus
Aceria tulipae Dry bulb mite Garlic, onion, tulip Tulip virus X, Garlic virus X Alpha flexiviridae/Alexivirus
Aceria cajani - Pigeon pea Pigeonpea sterility mosaic
virus
Unassigned/Emaravirus
Abacarus hystrix Cereal rust mites Several grasses Ryegrass mosaic virus,
Agropyron mosaic virus
Potyviridae/Rymovirus
Phyllocoptes fructiphilis Rose berry leaf and
bud mite
Multiflora rose Rose rosette virus Unassigned/Emaravirus
Eriophyes insidiosus Peach bud mite Peach Peach mosaic virus Betaflexiviridae/Trichovirus
Eriophyes inaequalis - Sweet cherry Cherry mottle leaf virus Betaflexiviridae/Trichovirus
Cecidophyopsis ribis Black current bud
mite
Black current Black currant reversion virus Secoviridae/Nepovirus
Eriophyoid Mites that act as Vector of Plant Pathogens
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Some Diseases & Symptoms Transmitted by Eriophyoid Mites
Wheat streak disease by A. tosichella Fig mosaic diseases by A. ficus Rose rosette disease by P. fructiphilus
Peach mosaic disease by E. insidiosus Pigeonpea sterility mosaic disease by A. cajani Garlic infested by A. tulipae

8. Wheat Streak Disease
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• Wheat Streak Mosaic virus (WSMV) (Potyviridae; Tritimovirus)
• Aceria tosichella (Eriophyoidea; Eriophyidae)
• Transmitted by immature stages (2nd Nymphal stage)
• No transovarial transmission (only Horizontal transmission)
• Mite feed on the upper and near leaf margin
• Cause symptoms; leaf mottling, leaf streaking, chlorosis, mosaic,
shrivelled seed, & red and yellow striping
• Wheat yield reduction 50-91.4 %
• Mites developmental period is time is 8-10 days
WSMV symptoms on wheat
Skare et al., 2006; Murray et al., 2008
Aceria tosichella

9. Continue………
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• Wheat Curl Mite (WCM) & world distribution
• Origin Netherland, 1937 reported from USA
• Morphological similar to A. tulipae & misidentified
• Viruliferous for 7 days at room temperature & infective up to
61 days at 3°C
• Adult loss transmission efficiency with time
• Specific and mutualistic relationship with WSMV
• Vectors of three other viruses (Wheat mosaic virus (WMoV),
Brome streak mosaic virus (BrSMV), Triticum mosaic virus
(TriMV)
Seifers et al., 2009; Amrine, 2003
Aceria tosichella
A. tosichella Colony

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Orlob, 1976; Hadi et al., 2011; Navia et al., 2013
Feeding Behaviour & Mouthparts Acquisition period & Stage transmission
• Two lobed rostra with pairs of stylets (5µm)
• Penetrate into sub-epidermal tissue and feed
• Resume feeding activity (10-120 sec.)
• Prefer to colonize in tightly rolled section due
to humidity
• Short acquisition period (10-15 min)
• Acquisition of virus increase along feeding time
• All stage acquire and infect except egg
• 1st and 2nd instar are efficient vector than Adult
• Infectivity of adult mites decrease with age

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Fig Mosaic Diseases (FMD)
• Fig Mosaic Virus (FMV), Emaravirus
• Aceria ficus (Eriophyoidea; Eriophyidae)
• All stages present throughout the year
• Major disease of fig, in fig growing countries
• Firstly reported by Flock & Wallace, 1955 from USA
• Different chlorotic pattern, deformation of leaves, rusting
and scaring of eyes
• Feed on the leaves, kill epidermal cells, in July enter into fruit
• Occasionally cause stunting of twigs and immature leaf drop
Laney et al., 2011;
Fig Mosaic diseases
FMV symptoms caused by A. ficus

12. 12
Continue…..
• Female lay eggs on stem and both surface of leaves
• Acquiring from terminal bud and lower surface of
symptomatic leaves
• Both immature and adult stage acquire and transmit
• Within 5 minute acquire from infected and transmit to
healthy one
• Adult inoculate from 6-10 days after removal from infected
plants
• 20-30°C is favourable for higher acquisition
Laney et al., 2011;
Aceria ficus

13. 13
Peach Mosaic Disease
• Peach Mosaic Virus, Trichovirus / Betaflexiviridae
• Eriophyes insidiosus (Eriophyoidea; Eriophyidae)
• First report, 1932 in Texas, commercially on peach
• Also infect plum, apricot and almond in USA
• Transmit virus from peach-peach-apricot but no reproduction
• Reproduction throughout the year but quite low in winter
• Symptoms; Vein clearing, colour break, deformation of petals,
stunted leaves, and dwarfing of the twigs Laney et al., 2011;
Peach Mosaic diseases
Eriophyes insidiosus

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• E. insidiosus feed and reproduce on vegetative buds
(Densities 500-900 per bud)
• Also found on scaffold branches, leaf axil & unprotect petioles
• Acquisition period is 30-60 minutes
• Transmit the virus after minimum of 6 hour
• Virus persist for 48 hours
• Inoculative period for adult is 2 days
• Non-transovarial transmission
(5400 eggs transferred to 28 healthy plants)
Continue…..
Laney et al., 2011;
Peach Mosaic symptoms on leaves

15. 15
Lesna et al., 2014; Granda et al., 2017
Garlic & Tulip Viruses
• Garlic virus X, Tulip virus X (Alpha flexiviridae/Alexivirus)
• Aceria tulipae (Eriophyoidea; Eriophyidae)
• Multiple generation per year & attack on plant and storage
• Entirely parthenogenetic reproduction & non-transovarially
transmission
• Sever loss to bulb, garlic, onion & transmit garlic mite born
mosaic, onion mite born laten virus
• Curled, ruffled leaves, yellow spot under the leaves
• Reduced yield up to 23% in bulb crops
Aceria tulipae
Garlic plant infected by A. tulipae

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Lesna et al., 2014; Granda et al., 2017
Continue…….
• Dry-bulb mite/ Garlic mite/ Tulip mite/ Onion leaf mite
• Economically important, worldwide distribution & broad
host range
• All active instars acquire and transmit except egg
• Chelicerae can penetrate up to 5μm into plant tissue
• Nymph acquire virus 15-30 minute & Infective up to 13
days
• High inoculation and transmission occur
• Aerial and carrier dispersal but mainly by transfer of
plant material
Aceria tulipae
Garlic Plant infected by A. tulipae

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Kassar & Amrine, 1990; Chakraborty et al., 2017)
Rose Rosette Diseases (RRD)
• Rose rosette virus (RRV), Emaravirus
• Phyllocoptes fructiphilus (Acari; Eriophyidae)
• Causes red colorations, deformed blooms, excessive thorniness
& elongated shoots
• Distributed in USA, (36 States), Canada & India
• Incubation period from few weeks to one year
• Multiple generation throughout the summer
• Female overwinter in under the bud/ bark scale
• Acquisition period of 5 days and inoculation within one hour
• Exposed plant symptoms appear 17-46 days
RRD transmitted by P. fructiphillus
Phyllocoptes fructiphilus

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• Resistant plant cultivar against mites or virus
• Mites-vector management (Cultural Management practices)
• Virus infected plants should be removed immediately
• Mite born plant viruses can not be controlled by chemical application
• Use of natural enemies or soft pesticide (sulfur, soap, oil etc.)
• Silence the genes that have direct role in virus transmission
• Prevention is better than cure
Management of Eriophyoid mites-born Viruses
Dhooria, 2016

20. • Intimate relationships of Mites-Host Plants & Viruses
• Circulative and non-persistent mode of transmission
• Immediate acquisition & short retention period
• Acquire & persist for few hour to many days
• All stages acquire & infect except egg
• 1st and 2nd instar are efficient vector than Adult
• High inoculation and transmission
• No transovarial transmission (Eggs to next Progeny)
Conclusion
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Future Prospects / Take Home Message
• Eriophyoid mite- plant host interactions
• Host plant specific interaction at gene level (thrugh microarrays)
• Virus- eriophyoid mites interactions
• Mechanism of virus transmission
• To determine the virus acquisition, retention, inoculation
• Genomic and population biology of eriophyoid mite vectors
• Functional and evolutionary study by complete genomes sequences of vectors
• New biotechnology based strategy to reduce transmission
• By using bimolecular changing the virus region, effectively reduce vector
efficiency

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Value to the Kingdom / What We Can
• Previous no comprehensive study
• Status of native and invasive pest species of with economic plants
• Potential impact on economy by few management
• Distribution of eriophyoid mites, association with economic plants
and pathogens

23. References
• Drake, C.S., Gary, L.H., Satyanarayana, T. and Roy, F., Eriophyid mite vectors of plant viruses. In: Brown, J.K. (Ed.), Vector-Mediated
Transmission of Plant Pathogens, APS Press, 2016. pp 263-274.
• Lindquist, E. E., Bruin, J., & Sabelis, M. W. (Eds.). (1996). Eriophyoid mites: their biology, natural enemies and control. Elsevier.
• Laney, A. G., Keller, K. E., Martin, R. R., & Tzanetakis, I. E. (2011). A discovery 70 years in the making: characterization of the Rose
rosette virus. Journal of General Virology, 92(7), 1727-1732.
• Helle, W., & Wysoki, M. (1996). 1.3. 2 Arrhenotokous parthenogenesis. In World Crop Pests (Vol. 6, pp. 169-172). Elsevier.
• Sarwar, M. (2020). Mite (Acari Acarina) vectors involved in transmission of plant viruses. In Applied Plant Virology (pp. 257-273).
Academic Press.
• Navia, D., de Mendonça, R. S., Skoracka, A., Szydło, W., Knihinicki, D., Hein, G. L., ... & Lau, D. (2013). Wheat curl mite, Aceria
tosichella, and transmitted viruses: an expanding pest complex affecting cereal crops. Experimental and Applied Acarology, 59(1), 95-
143.
• Stenger, D. C., Hein, G. L., Tatineni, S., & French, R. (2016). Eriophyid mite vectors of plant viruses. Vector-mediated transmission of
plant pathogens, 263-274.
• Oldfield, G. N. (1970). Mite transmission of plant viruses. Annual review of entomology, 15(1), 343-380.
• Michalska, K., Skoracka, A., Navia, D., & Amrine, J. W. (2010). Behavioural studies on eriophyoid mites: an overview. Experimental
and Applied Acarology, 51(1), 31-59.
• Hadi, B. A. R., Langham, M. A. C., Osborne, L., & Tilmon, K. J. (2011). Wheat streak mosaic virus on wheat: biology and
management. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 2(1), J1-J5.
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24. References
• Orlob, G. B. (1966). Feeding and Transmission Characteristics of Aceria tulipae Keifer as Vector of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus
1. Journal of Phytopathology, 55(3), 218-238.
• Chakraborty, P., Das, S., Saha, B., Karmakar, A., Saha, D., & Saha, A. (2017). Rose rosette virus: An emerging pathogen of garden
roses in India. Australasian Plant Pathology, 46(3), 223-226.
• Rodrigues, J. C. V., & Childers, C. C. (2013). Brevipalpus mites (Acari: Tenuipalpidae): vectors of invasive, non-systemic cytoplasmic
and nuclear viruses in plants. Experimental and Applied Acarology, 59(1), 165-175.
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