What do tomatoes infested with spider mites look like? - briefly
Tomatoes afflicted with spider mites exhibit leaves dotted with tiny yellow‑white stipples, often accompanied by fine webbing on the undersides, while the fruit may become smaller, misshapen, and display a dull, speckled surface.
What do tomatoes infested with spider mites look like? - in detail
Tomato plants suffering from spider‑mite infestation display a distinct set of visual symptoms.
The foliage shows a mosaic of discoloration: tiny, pale stipples appear on the upper leaf surface, gradually coalescing into larger yellow or bronze patches. As feeding continues, the affected area turns a uniform yellow‑green, and the leaf may curl or become brittle. The undersides of leaves often develop a fine, silvery webbing that is most visible when the plant is disturbed. Individual mites are barely visible to the naked eye—about 0.2 mm in length—and may be detected only as moving specks or by the web they produce.
Fruit symptoms differ from leaf damage but are also recognizable. Infected tomatoes may develop:
- Small, irregularly shaped lesions on the skin, often lighter in color than the surrounding tissue.
- A stippled or mottled appearance, especially near the stem scar.
- Premature softening or cracking, resulting from disrupted nutrient flow.
Overall plant vigor declines: new growth is stunted, and older leaves may drop prematurely. The combination of leaf stippling, bronzed discoloration, fine webbing, and fruit blemishes constitutes a reliable visual diagnosis of spider‑mite presence on tomatoes.