مشخصات پژوهش

Eriophyoid mites belong to the highly diverse superfamily Eriophyoidea within the Acariformes, encompassing over 5,000 recognized species. Their global distribution is uneven, with the majority of described species found in temperate regions. As some of the smallest terrestrial arthropods, averaging 200 μm in length, they are strictly phytophagous, forming complex associations with host plants by inducing galls and blisters (hence called "gall mites") or living freely on leaf surfaces. During the study of eriophyid mite fauna of genus Aceria (Acari: Eriophyidae) in Bostanabad County (East Azerbaijan province, Iran), sampling was carried out on the dominant plants of this region in summer 2023. Eriophyid mites were recovered from the plant material by means of a modified washing method and preserved in vials of Oudeman’s fluid. Collected specimens were mounted on microscope slides. Morphological measurements and identification were done by using an Olympus BX53 phase contrast microscope. During this study, 12 Aceria species were identified including: Aceria medicaginis (Keifer, 1941) from Medicago sativa L. (Fabaceae); Aceria egmirae Denizhan, Monfreda, Cobanoglu & de Lillo, 2006 from Althaea officinalis L. (Malvaceae); Aceria borselaniensis Honarmand, Lotfollahi & Xue, 2024 occasionally from Nepeta racemose Lam (Lamiaceae); Aceria cf. tosichella Keifer, 1969 complex from Hordeum vulgare L. (Poaceae), Alopecurus sp. (Poaceae), Lolium sp. (Poaceae) and Poa compressa L. (Poaceae), and occasionally from Rhaponticum repens (L.) Hidalgo (Asteraceae), Achillea vermicularis Trin. (Asteraceae), Xeranthemum longipapposum Fisch. & C.A.Mey. (Asteraceae) and Senecio vulgaris L. (Asteraceae); Aceria salviae (Nalepa, 1891) from Phlomis cancellate Bunge (Lamiaceae) and Salvia officinalis L. (Lamiaceae); Aceria chondrillae Canestrini 1890 from Chondrilla juncea Ledeb. (Asteraceae); Aceria belarexi Ripka, 2016 from Gypsophila polyclada Fenzl ex Boiss. (Caryophyllaceae); Aceria lobore