Aceria baccharipha

Eriophyes baccharipha

Hosts: Baccharis pilularis

Relationship: Leaf blisters.

Range: CA, FL

This gall is known as Baccharis leaf blister, a pimplelike swelling that develops on both sides of the leaf blade, with the exit hole on the underside. Generally an infestation gives the leaf a pimply, blistered appearance. The galls vary in size and from greenish to yellow, to brown. The mites occur among the fleshy tissue in the galls and presumably leave the galls and migrate to the buds during unfavorable weather. The host plant is locally known as chaparral broom, a spreading evergreen shrub that occurs in coastal and inland hills in California and southern Oregon. The mite specimens were first collected in California in April. Eriophyes baccharipha should not be confused with two other eriophyids that infest Baccharis in California. They are Eriophyes calibaccharis Keifer, which occurs in the terminal buds of chaparral broom, and E. baccharices (Keifer), which causes irregular, wartlike, rough-looking galls on the upper surface of the leaves of seep willow (Baccharis glutinosa Pers.) and mule-fat (B. viminea D. C. [salicifolia]).

Eriophyes sp.

Baccharis pilularis

Irregular, pustulate leaf swelling, diameter 1/10 inch, mite, summer

Eriophyes baccharipha
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This mite induces swollen blister galls on leaves of coyote brush [Baccharis pilularis].