FNZ 4 - Eriophyoidea except Eriophyinae (Arachnida: Acari) - Introduction
Manson, DCM 1984. Eriophyoidea except Eriophyinae (Arachnida: Acari). Fauna of New Zealand 4, 144 pages.
(
ISSN 0111-5383 (print),
;
no.
04.
ISBN 0-477-06745-X (print),
).
Published 12 Nov 1984
ZooBank: http://zoobank.org/References/C249A0E0-4F66-431B-9DB6-5C01ACA8CF65
Introduction
Mites of the superfamily Eriophyoidea are of worldwide distribution, and are invariably associated with plants. They are extremely small, ranging in length from 101 to 306 µm (approximately 0.1-0.3 mm), so are often invisible to the naked eye. A microscope is therefore essential to their study. Their general appearance is rather worm-like (Figures 1 and 2), and unlike most mites they have only two pairs of legs. Their small size and secretive habits cause them to be ignored or overlooked, so they are little understood and appreciated by most people. Nevertheless, some species are of considerable economic significance, and the recent appearance in New Zealand of such species as the wheat curl mite (Aceria tulipae), the citrus rust mite (Phyllocoptruta oleivora), and the apple rust mite (Aculus schlechtendali) calls for a greater awareness of them.
Information on eriophyoid mites in New Zealand is often difficult to obtain, since it is scattered through a variety of journals, some not now readily obtainable. Also, original descriptions are frequently inadequate, and in the light of recent knowledge of eriophyoid taxonomy some species should be renamed and reclassified.
With recent improvements in understanding of these mites, and with the accumulation of many additional species, it now seems appropriate to bring all this information together to provide a foundation for further studies. The main aim of this work, therefore, is to adequately describe and illustrate all the species now known from New Zealand, and to provide information on their host plants, distribution, and economic significance. Identification keys are provided, to assist with discrimination of species using morphological characters. I have also drawn up a host/mite list (see Appendix); this is an important guide to identification, since many eriophyoid mites are host-specific or are found on a few plant species only, usually of the same genus. Accurate identification of the host plant can therefore be an important clue to their identity.
The nucleus of this work is a drawing of each species, highly magnified, showing the key diagnostic characters, together with a detailed description based on several specimens (usually about six), to give a more accurate overall picture.
To adequately describe the 109 eriophyoid species now known from New Zealand in a single Fauna contribution would produce a thick and unwieldy volume. Consequently, the 60 species in subfamily Eriophyinae are described separately, in Fauna of New Zealand number 5.
There is little doubt that many more species await discovery in New Zealand. with our unique flora it can be expected that our native eriophyoid species will tend to be unique; it is also likely that more introduced species exist here. The life cycles and biology of many economically significant species under New Zealand conditions are poorly understood, and this field of study deserves considerable future attention.