Acalitus plicans

Acalitus plicans is an eriophyid mite which causes galls on beech (Fagus sylvatica). It is found in Europe and was first described by the Austrian zoologist Alfred Nalepa in 1917.

Acalitus plicans
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Family: Eriophyidae
Genus: Acalitus
Species:
A. plicans
Binomial name
Acalitus plicans
(Nalepa, 1917) [1]
Synonyms
  • Eriophyes plicans Nalepa, 1917
  • Cecydoptes plicans

Description of the gall

The leaf is distorted and crumpled with folds, and is covered with reddish hairs. The reddish tinge resembles an emerging leaf, which together with the small size makes the gall easy to overlook. The mites live and feed among the hairs which are deep in the folds of the leaf and overwinter under the bud scales.[2][3]

Inquilines

One species of Inquiline is known to live in the gall alongside the gall-causer, and a second may be a gall-causer or an inquiline, [3]

  • Epitrimerus fagi[4]
  • Monochetus sulcatus – is either a gall-causer on beech or an inquiline of Acalitus plicans.[5]

Distribution

The mite is found in Europe. Countries where it has been recorded include Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, (Kaliningrad) and Slovenia.[1][3]

References
  1. "Acalitus plicans (Nalepa, 1917)". Fauna Europaea. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  2. Chinery, Michael (2011). Britain's Plant Galls. Old Basing, Hampshire: WILDGuides Ltd. p. 34. ISBN 978 190365743 0.
  3. Ellis, W N. "Acalitus plicans (Nalepa, 1917)". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  4. Ellis, W N. "Epitrimerus fagi (Flögel & Goosmann, 1933)". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  5. Ellis, W N. "Monochetus sulcatus (Nalepa, 1892)". Plant Parasites of Europe. Retrieved 5 February 2021.


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