What do cucumbers affected by mites look like? - briefly
Cucumbers infested with mites usually display uneven yellow‑bronze spots, stippling, and a mottled surface, often with distorted shape and reduced size. Leaves may show fine webbing and discoloration, confirming mite activity.
What do cucumbers affected by mites look like? - in detail
Cucumbers infested with mites display a distinctive set of visual symptoms that affect both foliage and fruit.
Leaf tissue often exhibits a fine stippling pattern, where tiny, pale yellow to bronze spots replace the normal green coloration. As feeding continues, the stippling expands into larger, irregularly shaped patches, giving the leaves a mottled appearance. Frequently, the upper surface becomes dull and may develop a bronzed or rust‑colored sheen. Undersides of leaves commonly show fine webbing, a silk‑like network produced by the mites, which can be observed with a magnifying lens.
Leaf margins may curl upward or downward, and the affected foliage can become distorted, with uneven growth rates leading to a ragged canopy. In severe cases, chlorosis spreads throughout the leaf, resulting in overall yellowing and premature leaf drop.
Fruit symptoms differ from leaf damage but are equally recognizable. The cucumber skin may develop stippled discoloration similar to that on leaves, often appearing as a series of small, light‑colored spots that coalesce into larger, unevenly colored areas. Surface texture can become rough or slightly puckered where mite feeding has disrupted cell development. Affected cucumbers frequently exhibit reduced length, irregular shape, and thinner walls, making them appear smaller and less robust than healthy specimens. In extreme infestations, fruit may develop a russeted or bronzed rind, accompanied by a dry, papery texture.
The presence of webbing on the undersides of leaves, combined with the described foliar and fruit abnormalities, provides a reliable visual diagnosis of mite‑related damage in cucumber crops.