In Minnesota, linden leaf gall mite (Eriophyes tiliae), a specialized plant feeder is found only on American basswood and littleleaf linden, usually the lower leaves. In other parts of the country it is also found on lime trees. As it feeds on the leaf it causes the host plant to create finger-like galls on the upper leaf surface. The galls are unsightly but the infestation causes no harm to the host tree.

This is a common species yet little is known of its life cycle. The adult spends the winter in a crevice in the bark or near a bud. The first galls appear in June.