Effects of Mites infestation on foliar galls

Abstract

Plant Galls are exomorphically varied in size and outline and also vary in their topography on the plant body. The gall forming agents are called Cecidophyta (Bacteria, Fungi, algae, seed plants) or Cecidozoa (insects, mites, nematodes worms etc.). The present study
pertains to a preliminary survey of certain mite galls in different parts of Kavalur Hills at Thirupatur District, Tamil Nadu, India, namely, Acacia caesia W. & A., Alangium salvifolium (L. f.) Wang. and Commiphora caudata Engl. The causative agents of these galls were
belonging to mites. Mites have for long escaped detection because of their minute size, despite their occurrence for well over 50 million years. Mites are the most diverse and abundant of all arachnids belonging to the order Acarina. The eriophid mites occupy a significant place and produce galls of different complexities. Mites may infect any aerial organ of the plant leading to felty outgrowths, witches brooms, pouches and covering growth galls. Phytophagous mites not only damage food crops and fruits but also induce galls on plants. The organ of the host plants involved in galling is leaves only. Of the different plant organs which undergo galling, the
leaves are the most susceptible organ, whereas the buds, veins and petioles are less affected. These various types of galls have been vividly described and compared, with normal plant organs in the observational part of this research paper. With over 5,00,000 species of insects and 2,50,000 species of plants and over 300 million years of evolutionary history on insect plant interactions.