Aceria lantanae (Cook)

A. lantanae crinckle galls were uni- or multi-chambered and contained several mites, caused by several leaf foldings, and consisted of hyperplasic epidermis and parenchyma.

Aceria lantanae induced crinkle-leaf light green galls with an irregular and hairy surface, more prominent to the adaxial side of the leaf. They occurred along the secondary veins and were 4.5 ± 0.4 mm in length. These were covering galls that could eventually form a pocket, when the adaxial portion invaginated, provoking an intumescence. As a result, an adaxial folding, centrally opened, was formed (Fig. 8).

On the adaxial epidermal layer of the gall, glandular and non-glandular trichomes were similar to those found on healthy leaves. However, around gall ostiole trichomes presented a higher degree of alteration (Fig. 9) and emergences were formed at trichome basis (Fig. 10). The nymphal chamber sheltered numerous A. lantanae individuals (Fig. 11).

The nymphal chamber was bound by 1–3 layers of quadrangular cells differentiated from the hyperplasia of the adaxial epidermis, forming an atypical nutritive tissue and several emergences alternating with mite-feeding sites (Fig. 12). Some suberised spots were observed (Fig. 13).

Gall cortex consisted of hyperplasic small parenchyma cells with conspicuous nuclei. These cells were irregular in shape, with few chloroplasts. Intercellular spaces were not conspicuous (Fig. 13). The vascular system of the galls was composed of sparse small bundles with well developed vascular parenchyma (Fig. 14)

- Maria Zabele Dantas Moura, Geraldo Luiz Goncalves Soares, Rosy Mary dos Santos Isaias: (2008) Species-specific changes in tissue morphogenesis induced by two arthropod leaf gallers in Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae)^©