Vasates aceriscrumena

Phytoptus acericola
Acarus aceris crumena
Eriophyes aceris-crumena
Eriophyes crumena
Phyllocoptes aceris-crumena

Hosts: Acer saccharum, leucoderme

Relationship: Upper surface, leaf finger galls with lower surface opening

Range: IN, OH, WV, Quebec

Another common and abundant pouch gall that develops on the upper surface of sugar maple leaves is the spindle or finger gall, which is caused by Vasates aceriscrumena. The gall is distinguished from that of V. quadripedes Shimer by its form, position, color, and texture. The galls are solitary, elongate, with pointed or truncate apices, or spindle shaped. They are variable in size, up to 5 mm in length, and tend to crowd at the apical half of the leaf blade. They vary from greenish tinged with yellow to pink, to crimson. The exit hole on the underside of the leaf has a tuft of unicellular hairs, but the interior of the gall is thin walled and lacks hairs.

Specimens are found in galls through July on sugar maple in the Eastern United States and Canada.

Phytopus acericola

Acer saccharinum [Thompson's photo shows Acer saccharum]

Gall slender and tapers to both extremities

MA, June

Phyllocoptes aceris-crumena

Acer rubrum, saccharinum [sic--this seems to be mistaken compared to later literature]

Slender, fusiform leaf galls, length 5 mm. Sometimes very abundant, on the upper surface, also on sugar maple [Acer saccharum] and white-barked maple [Acer leucoderme].

Acer saccharum, leucoderme

Slender, fusiform leaf galls, length 5 mm. Sometimes very abundant, on the upper surface, also on soft maple [Acer saccharinum--sic] and white-barked maple [Acer leucoderme].