Epidermal and subepidermal changes during the formation of hairy galls induced by Eriophyidae on Avicennia schaueriana leaves.

Leaf-galling Eriophyidae (Acarina) may promote simple or complex alterations in the organs of their host plants, such as an increase in indumentum density or the reorganization of epidermis and ground system tissue patterns. To test if hairy galls of Eriophyidae on Avicennia schaueriana (Acanthaceae) are related to complex changes, leaf galls in distinct developmental phases were compared to non-galled leaves using anatomical, histochemical, and histometric analyses. Quantitative comparisons of preferential gall induction sites and gall area according to distinct leaf portions were made to evaluate if the impacts of gall formation can be related to the distinct potentialities of leaf microsites. The apical portion of the leaves and leaf margins were the sites with the highest occurrence of galls, but no relationship was detected between gall area and induction site. The gall anatomy revealed that epidermal features are influenced the most with the development of abnormal stomata and projected or sunken salt glands. The most striking change is the neoformation of elongated filiform trichomes on the abaxial surface (where the mites occur) that accumulate reducing sugars and proteins. The filiform trichomes may protect the inducers against abiotic stressors and enemies, and the primary metabolites that accumulate are important foods for mites. The mesophyll has simple alterations, only in the spongy parenchyma. Complex alterations occur only in abaxial epidermal cells close to feeding sites of the inducer. The number of inducers per gall seems to be the most important influence on gall size, since gall area is not related to the position in the leaves.