158 Acarology 



The plum nursery mite, Vasates fockeui (Nal. & Trt.), is found through- 

 out the northern states and Canada. It severely damages young growth on 

 plums which accounts for its common name. This mite is closely similar 

 to the peach silver mite, no characters at the present time being available 

 to indicate a structural distinction between the two. 



Filbert and currant suffer from the attacks of big-bud mites, Phytoptus 

 avelkmae Nal., and Cecidophyes ribis Nal., respectively. The terminal buds 

 on certain filbert varieties enlarge in the spring, and turn into galls never 

 producing shoots. The filbert mite is unique in having two types of nymphs, 

 a normal type developing in the big-buds, and a flattened nymph which 

 spends the summer on the undersides of the leaves. 



The redberry mite on blackberries along the Pacific Coast, namely, 

 Aceria essigi (Hassan), insures itself a breeding place in an unusual man- 

 ner. Feeding in the developing berry by this mite causes either all of the 

 drupelets, or the basal ones, to remain red and unripe. The berry thus 

 hangs on the vine longer, and is unfit for eating. 



The Eriophyid with the most peculiar habitat, that has come to notice 

 so far, is the onion or bulb Eriophyid, Aceria tulipae (K.). Liliaceous bulbs 

 such as onion, garlic and tulip are attacked, the mites living between the 

 bulb layers. Thus the mite lives underground, a habit not known to be 

 possessed by any other species. The activities of Aceria tulipae cause the 

 bulbs to shrink and dry out. These mites persist in storage. 



References: 



Baker, E. W. 1939. The fig mite, Eriophyes ficiis Cotte, and other mites of 

 the fig tree, Ficus carica Linn. Bull. Calif. Dept. Agr. 28(4) : 266-275. 



Boyce, A. M., and R. B. Korsmeier. 1941. The citrus bud mite, Eriophyes 

 sheldoni Ewing. J. Econ. Ent. 34(6) :745-756. 



Hodgkiss, H. E. 1930. The Eriophyidae of New York: IL The maple 

 mites. N. Y. State Agr. Expt. Sta. Tech. Bull. 163. 



Keifer, H. H. 1938. Eriophyid studies. Bull. Calif. Dept. Agr. 27(2) : 181- 

 206, and subsequent publications. 



. 1942. Eriophyid studies XIL Bull. Calif. Dept. Agr. 31 (3): 



117-129. 



. 1946. A review of North American economic eriophyid mites. 



J. Econ. Ent. 39(5) :563-570. 



Parrott, P. J., H. E. Hodgkiss, and W. S. Schoene. 1906. The apple and 

 pear mites. N. Y. State Agr. Expt. Sta. Bull. 283. 



Yothers, W. W., and A. C. Mason. 1930. The citrus rust mite and its con- 

 trol. U.S. Dept. Agr. Tech. Bull. 176. 



