The wheat curl mite: A century old immigrant that has emerged again and again through its associated viruses

Yellow mosaic, thought to be caused by wheat streak mosaic virus, was described in the 1920’s. The presence of the disease indicates that that the wheat curl mite, the only known vector of the virus, was present in the early 1900’s. This immigrant to North America has reemerged through the last 3 decades in its level of importance with the addition of two more viruses that it transmits. Changes in climate patterns will threaten to increase the mite’s importance even more into the future, emphasizing the need for additional management tools for this mite-virus complex.