June 3, 2026

Dr. Enrico de Lillo

University of Bari, Italy · Full Professor of General and Applied Entomology

Eriophyoid mites are obligate plant feeders characterized by unusual morphological, biological, and behavioral specializations compared to other Acari. They represent an emerging and underestimated threat to global agroecosystems, including major pests of crops and ornamental plants in urban and peri-urban vegetation, as well as vectors of plant viruses with significant economic and ecological impacts. Approximately one third of the known species in the families Phytoptidae and Eriophyidae belong to the ecological groups of gall-forming or refuge-seeking mites, often significantly affecting plant physiology and crop yield. Additionally, some vagrant species within Eriophyidae can severely damage their hosts. This presentation introduced eriophyoids to those who are not familiar with them and highlighted some biological and ecological aspects that may be particularly intriguing for the development of future research.

April 22, 2026

Dr. Ismail Döker

Çukurova University, Türkiye

Natural populations adapted to local conditions can effectively control pests, whereas exotic predators may disrupt biological control through intraguild predation. To identify native species for biological control, predatory mites were collected from arid, forest, terrestrial, urban, and wetland habitats in several countries, particularly in Europe and Asia over the last two decades. These surveys led to the description of approximately 50 new species and the redescription of over 100 poorly known taxa. Many of these species show generalist feeding habits and may be suitable as local biological control agents.