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Abstract
A mosaic disease of wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera L.) occurring in Florida is described. Affected plants had small, distorted leaves that displayed a virus-like mosaic pattern characterized by pale green blistered areas interspersed with dark green, normal-colored tissues. Affected epidermal, palisade, and spongy mesophyll cells were disorganized, distorted, and frequently contained fewer definable chloroplasts than healthy leaves. Standard virus indexing techniques yielded no evidence of a viral etiology; however, a new species of eriophyid mite, Calepitrimerus ceriferaphagus Cromroy, was recovered from symptomatic tissue. Symptomatic plants produced symptomless new growth after treatment with the systemic acaricide oxamyl, suggesting an association of the mite with the mosaic disease. Chemical name used: methyl 2-(dimethyl-amino)-N-[[methylamino)carbonyl]oxy]-2-oxoethanimidothioate(oxamyl).