Females usually have a large, dark blotch on each side of the body and numerous bristles covering the legs and body. The presence of webbing is an easy way to distinguish them from all other types of mites and small insects such as aphids and thrips, which can also infest leaf undersides.Īdult mites have eight legs and an oval body with two red eyespots near the head end. The names “spider mite” and “webspinning mite” come from the silk webbing most species produce on infested leaves (Figure 3). Spider mites live in colonies, mostly on the undersurfaces of leaves a single colony may contain hundreds of individuals (Figure 2). Adult females, the largest forms, are less than 1/20 inch long. To the naked eye, spider mites look like tiny, moving dots however, you can see them easily with a 10X hand lens. However, there is little need to do so, since their damage, biology, and management are virtually the same. Most common ones are closely related species in the Tetranychus genus and can’t be reliably distinguished in the field. Webspinning spider mites include the Pacific spider mite, twospotted spider mite, strawberry spider mite, and several other species. Spider mites (Figure 1), also called webspinning mites, are the most common mite pests and among the most ubiquitous of all pests in the garden and on the farm. Although related to insects, mites aren’t insects but members of the arachnid class along with spiders and ticks. Mites are common pests in landscapes and gardens that feed on many fruit trees, vines, berries, vegetables, and ornamental plants. Larvae of predatory midges, such as this Feltiella species, prey on spider mites.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |