Poison Ivy Leaf Mite
Aculops rhois
Arachnida
UNCOMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- A few weeks
- Size
- Tiny
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Activity
- Cathemeral
- Social
- Colony
- Biome
- Temperate forest
- Range
- North America
- Movement
- Walking
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Burrowing
- Status
- Uncommon
About
Poison Ivy Leaf Mites, or Aculops rhois, are a species of Eriophyid mite that live in galls on poison ivy and some other North American Toxicodendron and Rhus species. They are tiny, dark-colored mites that live in the galls, where they feed on the plant's sap and secrete toxins that cause irritation.
Life cycle
- 1.egg sacA silk-wrapped egg sac shelters a clutch of eggs until the young are ready to emerge.
- 2.juvenileA spiderling emerges from the egg sac already in miniature adult form and starts catching prey almost immediately.
- 3.subadultA near-adult arachnid molts through several instars, growing larger and developing mature markings.
- 4.adultFully grown after its final molt.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Arachnida
- Order
- Sarcoptiformes
- Family
- Eriophyidae
- Genus
- Aculops
- Species
- Aculops rhois