Abacarus hystrix (cereal rust mite or grain rust mite) belongs to the family Eriophyidae. They are extremely small with adults measuring up to one millimeter in length and only have four legs at the front of the body. Viewing by the human eye requires, a 10 – 20X lens. The adult mites are usually yellow but also have been seen to be white or orange. The cereal rust mite was first found on Elymus repens (couch grass), a very common perennial grass species. It has now been found on more than 60 grass species including oats, barley, wheat and ryegrass, found in Europe, North America, South Africa and Australia. Mites migrate primarily through wind movement and are usually found on the highest basal sections of the top two leaf blades. Abacarus hystrix produces up to twenty overlapping generat