Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: Spider mites (Acari: Trombidiformes; Tetranychidae) are globally important herbivore pests of crops. They have also become powerful genetic models for understanding chelicerate biology and the evolution of xenobiotic (i.e., pesticide) resistance and host plant adaptation. The first spider mite genome, that of Tetranychus urticae, uncovered dramatic expansions of gene families and horizontally acquired genes that associate with this species' very broad host plant range. While in its infancy, comparative genomics with other Tetranychidae species with more restricted host plant ranges is already uncovering relationships between gene content and host plant breadth. Further, quantitative genetic methods adapted to spider mites' life history now enable the identification of loci underlying adaptive traits, and functional studies are possible with RNAi and a recent breakthrough in high-efficiency gene editing. This review combines a primer in spider mite biology and experimental tractability with recent genome-enabled findings to highlight the potential of spider mites to inform Acari and chelicerate biology, as well as mechanisms of genetic adaptation and evolution more broadly.
Source: BioEssays
DOI: 10.1002/bies.70144
Institutions: University of Utah, Ghent University
Language: English
Topic: Study of Mite Species
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $5,330
Awards: G2185935229, A new family of nuclear receptors in Tetranychus urticae, master regulators of gene expression in a polyphagous pest?, G2752773062, G461533972, Mi(gh)ty CRISPR: developing CRISPR/Cas9 as a functional genetic tool for spider mite research, “NextGenBioPest” - Next Generation Biopesticides for the control of the most “difficult-to-manage” pests and pathogens in fruits and vegetables, Unraveling the mechanisms of a nuclear receptor HR96-related gene mediating large trans-regulated expression differences in detoxification genes in a highly polyphagous pest., The road towards transgenesis and gene drives in the major pest Tetranychus urticae
OpenAlex ID: W7162331672