Litchi mite (erinose)
A velvety brown-to-pink felty patch on the underside of the leaf, with blistering above — a gall mite completely different from red spider mite or yellow mite, needing its own specific miticide.
- Pest type
- Eriophyid gall mite
- Attacks
- Leaf underside, flower panicles, young fruit
- Worst in
- Warm, humid weather
- Main risk
- Distorted leaves, reduced flowering and fruit set
Overview
The litchi mite, causing the condition known as erinose, is a microscopic eriophyid mite (Aceria litchii) far too small to see with the naked eye. It is identified entirely by the distinctive damage it causes: a velvety, felt-like growth on the underside of the leaf, ranging from brown to pink, with the corresponding upper leaf surface blistering and curling. The same mite can also affect flower panicles and young fruit on a heavy infestation.
It is a genuinely different pest from the red spider mite and yellow mite (broad mite) seen on other crops on this site — different taxon, different damage pattern, and a different chemical response, since general-purpose insecticides and even some standard acaricides give poor control of eriophyid mites specifically. Heavy infestation distorts and weakens leaves and can reduce flowering and fruit set on badly affected panicles.
How to identify it
- Too small to see with the naked eye — identified by the damage: a velvety, felt-like, brown-to-pink growth on the underside of the leaf.
- The corresponding upper leaf surface blisters and curls at the same spots.
- On a heavy infestation, similar felty growth can appear on flower panicles and young fruit.
- A genuinely different pest from red spider mite and yellow mite, needing its own identification and management.
The damage it does
- Distorts and weakens affected leaves, reducing the tree's photosynthetic capacity.
- Can reduce flowering and fruit set on badly affected panicles when the mite attacks flowering tissue directly.
- Worst in warm, humid weather that favours rapid mite population growth.
Organic & cultural control
- Prune out and destroy badly galled leaves and shoots to reduce the mite population carried forward on the tree.
- Conserve natural predatory mites and other natural enemies by avoiding unnecessary broad-spectrum insecticide spraying.
Chemical control
- Use a recommended acaricide (miticide) specifically labelled for eriophyid mites — general-purpose insecticides and some standard mite products give poor control of this particular pest.
- Correctly identifying erinose rather than assuming it is red spider mite or a leaf disease matters, since the wrong product wastes money while the mite population continues to build.
- Confirm the current recommended acaricide and dose for litchi with your local KVK or ICAR-NRC Litchi.
Crops most at risk
Where this problem is called out in our crop guides — open a crop for the full package of practices.
Frequently asked questions
The underside of my litchi leaves has a velvety brown patch, and the top of the leaf is blistered. What is this?
That is litchi mite, causing the condition called erinose — a microscopic eriophyid mite too small to see directly. It is identified by this exact damage pattern: a velvety, felt-like growth on the leaf underside with blistering and curling on the corresponding upper surface. It is a different pest from red spider mite and needs its own specific acaricide.
Will a general insecticide or the same spray I use for red spider mite control this?
Often not well — eriophyid mites like this one frequently give poor results to general-purpose insecticides and even some standard acaricides that work fine on red spider mite. Use a product specifically labelled for eriophyid mite control, and confirm the current recommendation with your local KVK.
Symptoms and control measures follow ICAR, KVK and state agricultural-university package-of-practices; any named chemical is a registered use. Always read the product label and confirm the dose for your crop and zone. editorial policy.