Spider Mites on Tree Fruit

The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, while a pest of apple, peach, and other fruit trees, also feeds on a wide range of both wild and cultivated plants.

Description and life cycle
Twospotted spider mite adult males are pale yellow, pale to dark green, brownish, or at times faintly orange. An inconspicuous dark area is generally present on each side, and other dark areas are frequently seen along the middle. Females are oval, about 3/100 inch long and about 2/100 inch wide and vary in color, with gradations ranging from light yellow, straw color, green, brown, and black to various shades of orange. Newly emerged females have two large black spots, one on each side just back of the eyespot. After feeding, black splotches show up in irregular patterns in other parts of the body. Males are readily distinguished from females in this stage by the smaller size of the body, the pointed abdomen, and the small size of the spots.

For more information, please see this Penn State Tree Fruit Production Guide Web page.

Penn State Horticulture Department

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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