About Vasates quadripedes Shimer, 1869
Vasates quadripedes, commonly known as the maple bladder-gall mite, is an eriophyid mite belonging to the genus Vasates. This species causes the formation of galls on the leaves of three maple species: silver maple (Acer saccharinum), red maple (Acer rubrum), and sugar maple (Acer saccharum). The galls produced by this mite are typically rounded, though they may sometimes be elongated, and each has a short, thin neck. Most galls measure between 2 and 3 millimetres (0.079–0.118 inches) in diameter, and many can often be found growing on the upper surfaces of infested leaves. Each gall has an opening on the lower surface of the leaf. Young galls are yellowish-green or bright red, and darken to dark red and black as they mature. In Britain, this mite only affects introduced silver maple trees. The species is a relatively recent arrival in Britain, with the first confirmed record of it coming from London in 2002.
