Community identification
Spider mite
Tetranychidae family
- Order & Family
- Order: Trombidiformes; Family: Tetranychidae
- Size
- 0.5 mm or smaller, making them barely visible to the naked eye.
Natural Habitat
Agricultural fields, gardens, and indoor houseplants; they primarily reside on the undersides of leaves.
Diet & Feeding
Herbivorous; they pierce plant cells with their mouthparts and suck out the liquid contents, often causing yellow stippling on leaves.
Behavior Patterns
They produce fine silk webbing to protect the colony and help them move between plants (ballooning). They reproduce rapidly in hot, dry conditions.
Risks & Benefits
They are major pests that can cause significant damage or death to ornamental plants and crops; they provide no significant benefits to humans.