Eriophyid Mites and Their Damages on Olive Fruits in Izmir, Manisa and Balıkesir Provinces of Turkey

This study was conducted in olive orchards during June-October 2008 in some districts of İzmir, Manisa and Balıkesir provinces. In order to determine rates of infested with eriophyid mites and injured olive fruits, one hundred olive fruits were examined taken from ten trees for each of three orchards in a district. Two eriophyid species, Aceria oleae (Nalepa) and Aculus olearius Castagnoli (Acari: Eriophyidae) were found as new records for this region. Populations of the both species were found generally together on the olive trees. The mites caused forming abnormal shapes and brown split parts starting from stalk pit of the fruit. There were whitish silvery colored parts around and between of these areas. Symptoms of the mite damage were not observed on fruits having low mite population. The mites didn’t occur on fruits sampled after mid-July. Damage symptoms on fruit taken from irrigated olive orchards were more evident than those of non-irrigated olive orchards. The highest rates of infested fruits were Urla 82%, Bayındır 79%, Karaburun 43%, Akhisar 35%, Bornova 26%, respectively. The highest rates of fruits having damage symptoms were Bayındır 59%, Burhaniye 56%, Havran 40%, Edremit 40%, Akhisar 27%, Bornova 22%, Urla 22%, Karaburun 19%, Gömeç 8%, respectively. Quality of the edible olive fruits were negatively affected by the eriophyid mites.