REVIEW Host specificity of eriophyoid mites: specialists or generalists?

Abstract: Eriophyoid mites are obligatory phytophages and are well adapted to living on plants. The majority of eriophyoid species are considered as highly host-specific, but several species are known to have extremely broad host ranges. Thus, both strategies specialization and generalization might be advantageous for these phytophagous mites. Eriophyoids are mites of great economic importance, so the recognition of the ecological and evolutionary patterns of their host specialization is of great interest. This paper is a review of the current knowledge on eriophyoid host specificity. Different patterns of host plant ranges are discussed in the ecological context. Specifically, the type of mite life-style, degree of mite-host physiological intimacy, type of host (woody versus herbaceous), and method of long-distance transport, are discussed as factors triggering eriophyoid evolution of host plant specialization. The scarcity of data on plant acceptance or resistance (implying physiological response and rejection) is viewed as the main reason for our poor and sometimes unreliable knowledge regarding eriophyoid host specificity. The conclusion is that the host plant range should be defined as the species of plants accepted by mites and suitable for their survival, reproduction and development. Key words: Abacarus hystrix, Eriophyoidea, host plant, host range, phytophagous arthropods, specializatio