What do plants affected by spider mites look like? - briefly
Infested foliage displays stippled, yellow‑white or bronze spots, fine silk webbing on the undersides, and a generally mottled appearance. Leaves may become speckled, curled, and acquire a dusty, silvered coating as mite numbers rise.
What do plants affected by spider mites look like? - in detail
Plants infested with spider mites display several distinctive visual symptoms. The most common sign is a fine stippling pattern on the leaf surface, produced by the mites feeding on cell contents. This stippling often appears as tiny, translucent or yellow‑white spots that coalesce into larger patches, giving the foliage a mottled or speckled look.
Additional indicators include:
- A pale, bronzed, or bronze‑tinged discoloration that spreads from the leaf margins toward the center.
- Small, silvery webs on the undersides of leaves, on stems, or in leaf axils; webs become more apparent as the infestation progresses.
- Premature leaf drop, where affected leaves curl, become brittle, and detach earlier than normal.
- Stunted growth, evident from reduced internode length and a compact, dwarf‑like habit.
- Distorted or deformed new shoots, often with a “scrunched” appearance due to feeding damage.
In fruit‑bearing plants, spider mite damage may manifest as a dull, uneven skin texture on developing fruit, sometimes accompanied by tiny necrotic spots. On ornamental species, the aesthetic impact is especially noticeable because the stippling and discoloration reduce the plant’s ornamental value.
The mites themselves are microscopic, typically 0.2–0.5 mm in length, and may be observed as moving specks on the leaf underside when examined closely. Their presence, combined with the described foliage symptoms, confirms an infestation.