Gall- and erineum-forming Eriophyes mites alter photosynthesis and volatile emissions in an infection severity-dependent manner in broad-leaved trees Alnus glutinosa and Tilia cordata

Abstract

Highly host-specific eriophyoid gall- and erineum-forming mites infest a limited range of broadleaf species, with the mites from the genus Eriophyes particularly widespread on Alnus spp. and Tilia spp. Once infected, the infections can be massive, covering a large part of leaf area and spreading through the plant canopy, but the effects of Eriophyes mite gall formation on the performance of host leaves are poorly understood. We studied the influence of three frequent Eriophyes infections, E. inangulis gall-forming mites on A. glutinosa, and E. tiliae gall-forming and E. exilis erineum-forming mites on T. cordata, on foliage morphology, chemistry, photosynthetic characteristics and constitutive and induced volatile emissions. For all types of infections, leaf dry mass per unit area (MA), net assimilation rate per area (An), and stomatal conductance (Gs) strongly decreased with increasing severity of infection. Mite infections resulted in enhancement or elicitation of emissions of fatty acid derived volatiles, isoprene, benzenoids and carotenoid breakdown products in infection severity-dependent manner for all different infections. Monoterpene emissions were strongly elicited in T. cordata mite infections, but these emissions were suppressed in E. inangulis-infected A. glutinosa. Although the overall level of mite-induced emissions was surprisingly low, these results highlight the uniqueness of the volatile profiles and offer opportunities for using volatile fingerprints and overall emission rates to diagnose infections by Eriophyes gall- and erineum-forming mites on temperate trees and assess their impact on the physiology of the affected trees.

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“…Spreading by the wind is more risky for these organisms because due to the high host specificity of these mites, there is little chance of reaching the appropriate host. On the contrary, having a pollinator of the host plant, the chances for reaching the appropriate host increase as in the case of Aceria litchii Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae), which is associated with bees that pollinate lychee trees (Jiang et al, 2021) and Aceria pallida Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae), which is associated with psyllidae Bactericera gobica Loginova (Hemiptera: Triozidae) .…”

“…The practical value of the study lies in the fact that the information on A. platynotus presence, abundance, and spread will help in sampling the mites and making future management decisions Keywords: four-legged mites; identification; varieties; spread; harmfulness; population not cause damage visible to the naked eye, but in case of mass reproduction may lead to rusting, bronzing, or chlorotic appearance of damaged parts. A relatively limited proportion, approximately 10-15% of these mites, reside in natural storage sites on the host or within the galls they create (Jiang et al, 2021).…”

The effect of gall mites (Acariformes, Eriophyoidea) on leaf morphology and pigment content of deciduous trees in West Siberia

“…Since the content of chlorophylls is directly proportional to the photosynthesis intensity (Lichtenthaler et al 2007;Lambers 2008;Ivanova et al 2018Ivanova et al , 2019Qian et al 2019), the loss of pigments in infected leaves denotes a decrease in the photosynthesis of plants. It has been shown that the net assimilation rate per area and the stomatal conductance strongly decrease with the increasing severity of infestation by Eriophyes gall-forming mites in Alnus glutinosa and Tilia cordata (Jiang et al 2021). The above plant parameters also inversely correlated with the severity of infection by gall wasp species (Jiang et al 2018).…”

“…Four-legged mites, or eriophyoids (Acari, Eriophyoidea), are microscopic, highly host-specific phytoparasites, permanently associated with higher vascular plants (Lindquist 1996). Among ≈5,000 known species, about 20% induce various galls, or growth abnormalities, on vegetative and generative plant organs (Skoracka et al 2010;Jiang et al 2021). The genus Eriophyes, which includes about 300 species, is one of the most diverse eriophyoid mite genera (Soika and Kozak 2013).…”

“…In the above tree species, a huge part of leaf canopy can be affected (Kane et al 1997). Infestation by gall inducers (insects, mites, bacteria, viruses) often markedly changes leaf morphology (Tooker et al 2008;Albert et al 2011) and influences the functional activity of affected trees (Dorchin et al 2006;Patankar et al 2013;Jiang et al 2018;Jiang et al 2021). Studies have shown that gall infected leaves modify gas exchange characteristics, such as the photosynthesis rate and stomatal conductance (Patankar et al 2013;Jiang et al 2018;Ye et al 2019).…”