Chapter 4.1 Biological control of weeds 4.1.1 Aceria, epitrimerus and Aculus species and biological control of weeds

Publisher Summary Eriophyoidea are ideal biological control agents for plant pests. These gall formers debilitate their hosts by feeding, gall formation, and virus transmission. They also tend to be specialized feeders that are often found safe to be released on weeds in new areas even where closely related plants may be important crops. This chapter reviews the species of Eriophyoidea that have been investigated for possible use in the biological control of weeds. Aceria malherbae is one of the only two organisms that are host-specific enough to be used against Convolvulus arvensis . Acroptilon repens is another difficult weed that sprouts from an extensive root system and is extremely hard to be controlled by other means, although the gall-forming nematode, S. picridis, is useful in Russia and North America. Moreover, eriophyoid mites should be among the first of choices for the biological control of weeds. Like gall formers, they are likely to be host-specific and add considerably to the stresses on their host plants.