Aceria clianthi

{{Short description|Species of mite}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2024}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Aceria clianthi 336043648.jpg

|image_caption= Witch's broom on a Clianthus plant caused by Aceria clianthi

| genus = Aceria

| species = clianthi

| authority = Lamb, 1952

}}

File:Aceria clianthi.jpg

Aceria clianthi is a species of mite belonging to the family Eriophyidae. It is found only in New Zealand. It is notable for being host specific to threatened plants of the genus Clianthus. It is classified by Buckley et al. as "nationally critical" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.{{cite journal |author1=T. R. Buckley |author2=R. L. Palma |author3=P. M. Johns |author4=D. M. Gleeson |author5=A. C. G. Heath |author6=R. A. Hitchmough |author7=I. A. N. Stringer |year=2012 |title=The conservation status of small or less well known groups of New Zealand terrestrial invertebrates |journal=New Zealand Entomologist |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=137–143 |doi=10.1080/00779962.2012.686319|bibcode=2012NZEnt..35..137B |s2cid=55135775 }} They stated "Aceria clianthi (Eriophyidae), has been recorded only from kakabeak (Clianthus spp.) in cultivation and once on Lotus cornalatus [Lotus corniculatus] (Fabaceae), an introduced plant growing near kakabeak (Martin 2009).{{cite journal|author=N. A. Martin |year=2009 |title=Herbivores and pathogens associated with Clianthus species (Fabales: Fabaceae) |journal=Weta |volume=38 |pages=6–12 |url=http://www.ento.org.nz/nzentomologist/abstract.php?volume_issue=p38_1&first_page=6 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210041346/http://ento.org.nz/nzentomologist/abstract.php?volume_issue=p38_1&first_page=6 |archive-date=2013-02-10 }} It is given the same threat classification as kakabeak (de Lange et al. 2009).{{cite journal |author1=P. J. de Lange |author2=D. A. Norton |author3=S. P. Courtney |author4=P. B. Heenan |author5=J. W. Barkla |author6=E. K. Cameron |author7=R. Hitchmough |author8=A. J. Townsend |year=2009|title=Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand (2008 revision) |journal=New Zealand Journal of Botany |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=61–96 |doi=10.1080/00288250909509794|s2cid=85437006 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2009NZJB...47...61D }}" Heenan had earlier stated that "the two species [of Clianthus] are considered to be threatened, with C. maximus having a rank of vulnerable, whereas C. puniceus is critically endangered",{{cite journal |author =P. B. Heenan |year=2000|title= Clianthus (Fabaceae) in New Zealand: a reappraisal of Colenso's taxonomy |journal=New Zealand Journal of Botany |volume=38 |issue=3 |pages=361–37 |doi=10.1080/0028825X.2000.9512688|doi-access=free |bibcode=2000NZJB...38..361H }} but the conservation status of C. maximus was subsequently found to be more serious. These threat classifications for Clianthus apply to plants in the wild, but the species are widely cultivated. Aceria clianthi occurs on both plants in the wild and in cultivation.