Announcements
Acarology Webinar Series
Mite-y Talks 2026: International Webinar Series
The Acarological Society of America (ASA) is pleased to present the third year of our international webinar series. The aim of our web series is to showcase research in acarology and make it accessible to a broader audience. We feature acarologists who contribute to the study of Acari through innovative research. This year, four acarologists will be presenting their research from Europe and South America!
Next Up — Featured Speaker
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 · 11 AM (ET)
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 will introduce eriophyoids to those who are not familiar with them and will highlight some biological and ecological aspects that may be particularly intriguing for the development of future research.
August 19, 2026
Dr. Lou Tabary
INRAE Montpellier, France
Exploring how agricultural practices influence mite communities and their role in sustainable pest management in vineyard ecosystems.
October 21, 2026
Dr. Debora Barbosa de Lima
Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Brazil
Investigating complex interactions between coconut mites, their hosts, and natural enemies to develop sustainable control strategies in tropical agriculture.
Previous Talks
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.
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