Forum Entomologi Italiani

Hello , do you have any idea on those mites?
I found them on the inflorescence on Alyssum borzaeanum (Brasicaceae), a plant species that lives on sand dunes, near the sea coast, in Romania. It seems that they feed with the pollen of this plant, do you think this can affect the number of the fruits for those plants later or do you know more about this behaviour?

I also have some specimens collected in ethanol, if anyone is interested in them!

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alexandrupintilioaie(AT)gmail.com

They are very common everywhere.
I too I use to find them on several flowers.
They look to me similar to Balaustium, but I certainly am wrong.
Let's wait for Massimo Plumari.

Thank you very much for your help!

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alexandrupintilioaie(AT)gmail.com

Hello Alexandru!

I agree with Luigi. Maybe these mites belong to genus Balaustium. They feed on pollen, but I don't think they cause serious injury to the plant.

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Massimo Plumari
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Rerum natura nusquam magis quam in minimis tota est - Plinio il vecchio (Hist. Nat., XI, 1)