Two-spotted spider mite
Scientific Name: Tetranychus urticae
Order & Family: Order: Trombidiformes; Family: Tetranychidae
Size: 0.3 to 0.5 mm in length
Natural Habitat
Leaves of various agricultural crops, garden plants, and weeds, especially on the undersides.
Diet & Feeding
Plant juices; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on chloroplasts in plant cells.
Behavior Patterns
They live in colonies on the underside of leaves and produce fine silk webbing. Reproduction is rapid in warm, dry conditions.
Risks & Benefits
Significant plant pest that can cause stippling, leaf drop, and plant death; no direct risk to humans but can devastate crops and ornamental gardens.
Identified on: 6/16/2026