Gall mites (Eriophyidae) are tiny mites only about 0.2 mm long. Through their feeding activity they cause characteristic galls on many different plant species. Depending on the species, these galls may take forms such as shoot deformities or pox-like structures on leaves. Gall mites usually overwinter in leaf axils or between the bud scales of their host plants and move onto the leaves when the plants sprout in spring. Each gall mite species is specialised on a particular host.

Back to Glossary Back to Term