Page 13 - Volume 6, Issue 1, January 2013

© Benaki Phytopathological Institute
Eriophyoids in Greek orchards and grapevine 11
opment of additional shoots after the death
of the main bud, the vine presents “witches
broom” appearance.
Colomerus vitis (Pagenstecher) [Phytop-
tus vitis Pagenstecher, Eriophyes vitis (Pa-
genstecher)]
Syn: Eriophyes vitis (Landois) [ Phytoptus vitis
Landois]
Common name: grape bud mite or grape
erineum mite
Damage: Three forms of C. vitis have been
reported to cause different types of inju-
ry to grape vines. One form feeds on the
leaves and causes the appearance of patch-
es of felty erineum on the lower surface, fol-
lowed by blister-like swellings on the upper
surface. The erineum patches are whitish at
first, then yellow and finally reddish brown.
At times they are abundant in early spring
in commercial vineyards or throughout the
season on abandoned and backyard vines.
Another form of C. vitis attacks grape buds,
causing deformation of the primordial bud
clusters, distortion of the basal leaves, stunt-
ing of the main growing point, and often
death of the overwintering buds. This form
does not produce erineum on the leaves.
The third form produces leaf curl and abnor-
mal plant hairs at the colonies sites.
Natural enemies
Much of the ongoing research aiming at
controlling eriophyoid mites in the last de-
cade has been focused on biological control
with the use or conservation of predatory
mites (van Leeuwen et al. , 2010).
Predators of the eriophyoid mites in-
clude insects (Chalcidoidea, Thysanoptera)
and predaceous mites of Phytoseiidae, Stig-
maeidae and Anystidae (Jeppson et al., 1975;
Sabelis, 1996). The importance of the preda-
tory phytoseiid and stigmaeid mites for the
control of eriophyoid mite populations has
been well documented by several authors
(Abou-Awad and El-Banhawy 1986; Ama-
no and Chant 1986; Abou-Awad et al., 1998;
Abou-Awad et al. , 2005).
Among the phytoseiid species that use
mostly eriophyoid mites as a food source
are Iphiseius degenerans (Berlese), Euseius
finlandicus (Oudemans), Euseius stipulatus
(Athias-Henriot), Kampimodromus aberrans
(Oudemans), Amblyseius andersoni (Chant),
Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) pyri Scheuten,
Typhlodromus ( Typhlodromus) exhilaratus Ra-
gusa, Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) athiasae
Porath and Swirski, Paraseiulus talbii (Athias-
Henriot) and species of the genus Neoseiu-
lus (Sabelis, 1996; McMurtry and Croft, 1997;
Kreiter and Tixier, 2010). Also, stigmaeid
mites, Zetzellia mali Ewing and Agistemus
spp. are well-known predators of eriophyoid
mites (Abou-Awad et al. , 1998; Childers et al.,
2001; Gerson et al. , 2003; Duso et al. , 2008).
In Greece, many phytoseiid species
are found in fruit orchards and vineyards.
Among the phytoseids recorded in stone
fruits, E. finlandicus, E. stipulatus, A. anderso-
ni and K. aberrans are the more frequent and
abundant. The stigmaeid predator Z. mali is
also very frequent (Papaioannou-Souliotis
et al. , 1994). Papanikolaou and Bakoyiannis
(1991) reported a hymenopteran larva (un-
identified species, probably belonging to
the family Eulophidae) associated with galls
of A. phloeocoptes , which showed very low
predation.
Typhlodromus pyri, A. andersoni and E. fin-
landicus are frequent in apple orchards (Pa-
paioannou-Souliotis et al., 1994; Markoyian-
naki-Printziou et al., 2000; Papadoulis et al.,
2009) and may play a major role in keeping
apple rust mite populations below econom-
ic damage levels (Easterbrook 1996; Duso
and Pasini 2003; Fitzgerald et al., 2003).
Phytoseiid predatory species found in
citrus orchards in Greece include E. stipula-
tus, Euseius scutalis (Athias-Henriot), Typhlo-
dromus (Anthoseius) athenas Swirski and Ra-
gusa, T. (T.) athiasae, P. talbii , A. andersoni and
I. degenerans (Papadoulis et al., 2009). Euseius
stipulatus is the main phytoseiid predator
holding 80% of the phytoseiid population in
citrus groves (Papaioannou-Souliotis, 1991).
Generalist predators such as E. stipulatus can
control the phytophagous mite populations
at low densities (McMurtry et al., 1992).