Using cold-stored or overwintering Aceria malherbae Nuzzaci (Acarina: Eriophyiidae), a gall-forming eriophyiid mite, for infestation of field bindweed

Clippings of Aceria malherbae Nuzzaci infested field bindweed, Convolvulvus arvensis L., were used to successfully infest field bindweed in a greenhouse for up to 70 days after the clippings had been collected and stored at either 2 and 4deg. C. Percentage of plants infested was significantly different between mites collected from the two sites (34.5% from Moore County and 16.5% from Carson County, Texas), and the ability of mites to infest plants decreased significantly as the number of days in storage increased. No significant difference in percentage of plants infested was found between years (27.8% in 1999 and 23.2% in 2000) or storage temperature (23.5% at 2deg. C and 27.5% at 4deg. C). Overwintering A. malherbae from field bindweed rootstock infested 66.7 and 75% of the field bindweed grown in a greenhouse, and it took an average of 24.5 ( ± 6.6) and 21.4 ( ± 4.5) days for the bindweed plants to begin showing damage symptoms in 1999 and 2000, respectively.