Abstract
Acalitus vaccinii (Keifer, 1939) is reported for the first time in South Africa, on cultivated blueberries (Ericaceae: Vaccinium spp.). This is the first known occurrence outside its likely native range in North America where it is a pest on cultivated and wild blueberries. In South Africa it has first been identified in 2014 and now occurs between Amsterdam and Lothair, and near Lydenburg and Dullstroom in the Mpumalanga Province. The morphology of the South African A. vaccinii specimens was compared with previous published taxonomic descriptions and differences were found. Infestation levels in South Africa were high, and reduced flower and berry formation considerably on various Vaccinium corymbosum L. cultivars, and on rabbiteye blueberry Vaccinium virgatum Aiton. 'Centurion'. The current status of, symptoms, and cultivars infested by the mite in South African blueberry plantings are presented and discussed in the context of published information in North America. Acalitus vaccinii is a potential threat to cultivated blueberries in South Africa, but the threat varies according to climate and the susceptibility of different cultivars to this mite. Acalitus vaccinii will unlikely infest South Africa’s indigenous vegetation, apart from possibly the native Vaccinium exul Bolus.
Highlights
Acalitus vaccinii (Keifer, 1939) (Eriophyoidea: Eriophyidae) is an economically important pest of blueberries (Ericaceae: Vaccinium spp.) (Fulton 1940; Keifer 1941) occurring up to date only in North America, where it is considered native. It occurs essentially throughout most of the eastern (Keifer 1941), north-central and southern areas (Isaacs et al 2004; Weibelzahl and Liburd 2010) of the USA. It is the only economically important eriophyoid pest on blueberries, apart from a potential pest, a Calacarus sp., which was found in Florida and which might be a vector of the blueberry necrotic ring blotch virus (BNRBV) (Burkle et al 2012)
The levels of symptoms and extrapolated infestation and resultant damage caused by the blueberry bud mite, A. vaccinii in South Africa at the study site near Amsterdam, ranging from 30-90%, clearly indicates that the mite could be an economically important pest on susceptible blueberry cultivars under suitable climatic conditions in South Africa
The symptoms observed on cultivated blueberries in this study are similar to those noted by other authors in North America
Summary
Acalitus vaccinii (Keifer, 1939) (blueberry bud mite) (Eriophyoidea: Eriophyidae) is an economically important pest of blueberries (Ericaceae: Vaccinium spp.) (Fulton 1940; Keifer 1941) occurring up to date only in North America, where it is considered native. It occurs essentially throughout most of the eastern (Keifer 1941), north-central and southern areas (Isaacs et al 2004; Weibelzahl and Liburd 2010) of the USA. Due to this rigorous import system, the possibility that A. vaccinii was introduced via legally imported propagation material is slim, not impossible
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