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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lincoln, Nebraska » Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #279261
Title: Eriophyid mite vectors of plant viruses

Author
item Stenger, Drake
item HEIN, GAY - University Of Nebraska
item Tatineni, Satyanarayana - Ts
item French, Roy

Submitted to: Vector-Mediated Transmission of Plant Pathogens
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/28/2015
Publication Date: 5/3/2016
Citation: Stenger, D.C., Hein, G.L., Tatineni, S., French, R.C. 2016. Eriophyid mite vectors of plant viruses. In: J.K. Brown, editor. Vector-Mediated Transmission of Plant Pathogens. St. Paul, MN: APS Press. p. 263-274.

Interpretive Summary: The book chapter presents a review of eriophyid mite vectors of plant viruses. A brief summary of eriophyid mite biology, ecology, and classification is presented, with emphasis on the 11 species (nine confirmed and two suspected) serving as vectors. Specific viruses transmitted by eriophyid mites are described, with emphasis on classification, genomic properties, transmission properties, and diseases caused. Possible areas of future research are identified in which modern tools are now available for elucidation of molecular mechanisms governing interaction of eriophyid mites with both viruses and plant hosts.

Technical Abstract: Eriophyid mites are found on a wide array of plants worldwide. Eriophyid mites are much smaller than other mites, with adults averaging 200 µm in length (range 80-500 µm). Besides small size, the most distinctive feature of eriophyid mites is that they possess only two pairs of well-developed legs. Most eriophyid mites undergo relatively simple life cycles. After hatching from the egg, two immature stages are completed before maturation to adulthood. The greatest impact of eriophyid mites is the ability of a handful of species to transmit economically important plant viruses. In comparison to the numerous plant viruses transmitted by insects (in particular, aphids, leafhoppers, and whiteflies), relatively few viruses are known (or suspected) to be transmitted by eriophyid mites. In general, the process of virus transmission by eriophyid mites is thought to be semipersistent but transmission mechanism(s) is (are) poorly understood, in part due to difficulties of studying eriophyid mites in both field and laboratory settings. Viruses known or suspected to be transmitted by eriophyid mites include divergent species in the family Potyviridae (assigned to the genera Tritimovirus, Rymovirus, and Poacevirus), two species of Trichovirus (family Betaflexiviridae), multiple species of Allexivirus (family Alphaflexiviridae) infecting garlic, Black currant reversion virus (genus Nepovirus [subgroup C], family Secoviridae), and the negative-strand RNA viruses of the unassigned genus Emaravirus (European mountain ash ringspot-associated virus and four additional tentative members).