Bug FAQMaple Bladdergall Mite
Vasates quadripedes · Order: Trombidiformes · Family: Eriophyidae
Also called: Maple bladder-gall mite
The galls are about 2 to 3 mm across and start out yellow-green or bright red before turning dark red or black. They are rounded or sometimes elongated with a short, thin neck and are found on introduced silver maples.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Young galls appear yellow-green or bright red, later becoming dark red and black. Each gall is rounded, occasionally elongated, and has a short, thin neck.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Galls typically measure 2 to 3 mm in diameter.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The mite is found on introduced silver maple trees. In Britain it also attacks introduced silver maples.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species was first recorded in London in 2002, making it a recent arrival to Britain.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 38 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What trees are affected by the maple bladdergall mite?
It forms galls on introduced silver maple trees.
Source: Wikipedia
How big are the galls produced by this mite?
The galls are usually 2 to 3 mm across.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the galls look like as they age?
They start yellow-green or bright red and later turn dark red or black.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Eriophyidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasates_quadripedes
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.