Monochetus sulcatus (Nalepa, 1892)
on Fagus sylvatica
Fagus sylvatica, France, dép. Seine-et-Marne, Fontainebleau, 30.v.2018 © Pierre Duhem
underside
gall
small epiphyllous bulge in a leaf axil; the normally present bunch of hairs at the underside is more voluminous than usual.
host plants
Fagaceae, monophagous
Fagus sylvatica.
synonyms
Redfern & Shirley consider M. sulcatus a synonym of Phyllocoptes depressus, a gall mite on dogwood.Because eryophiids generally are monophagous, the discrepancy in host plant argues against that synonymy, that also is not hold up by the Fauna Europaea (2014).
notes
essentially the gall is just a somewhat stronger expression of a normal acarodomatium.
According to Weidner the species is an inquiline of Acalitus plicans.
references
Béguinot (2012a), Buhr (1964b), Dauphin & Aniotsbehere (1997a), Farkas (1965a), Houard (1908a), Lambinon, Schneider & Feitz (2001a), Petanović & Stanković (1999a), Redfern & Shirley (2011a), Skoracka, Lewandowski & Boczek (2005a), Weidner (1954a), Xue, Wang, Song & Hong (2009a).