Frequent quarantine interception in South Africa of grapevine Colomerus species (Trombidiformes: Prostigmata: Eriophyidae): taxonomic and distributional ambiguities.

Grapevine is host to twoColomerusspecies:Colomerus vitis(Co. vitis), distributed worldwide; andColomerus oculivitis(Co. oculivitis), restricted to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Both these eriophyid species, as well asColomerusspecimens morphologically near them, were intercepted by South African officials on table grapes and grapevine budwood imported from a number of different countries.Colomerus oculivitismay have a wider distribution than reported and/or its taxonomy may be erroneous. In addition, breeding colonies ofColomerusmites were found on imported fresh table grapes. This represents an unconsidered introduction pathway for eriophyoids on grapevine. A survey and taxonomic study on grapevine eriophyoid mites are presently underway in South Africa. Due to taxonomic uncertainties, it is our opinion thatColomerusmites from grapevine worldwide cannot be identified accurately to species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]