About Phyllocoptes goniothorax (Nalepa, 1889)
Phyllocoptes goniothorax (Nalepa, 1889) is a mite that causes two distinct types of galls on hawthorn leaves. These mites overwinter in buds or bark crevices. They emerge to attack new leaves as soon as buds open, forming tight rolls along leaf edges. A single leaf can host many of these yellowish or red galls, which are hairy on the inside. This mite can also form an erineum on the underside of leaves, made up of reddish, violet or white hairs with swollen tips. The galls formed by this mite have been recorded on many different species of hawthorn: Crataegus coccinoides, C. laevigata, C. macrocarpa, C. monogyna, C. nigra, C. rhipidophylla, and C. sanguinea. This mite is distributed in western Europe.
