What does a female spider mite look like? - briefly
A female spider mite is a minute, oval arachnid about 0.4–0.5 mm long, with a soft reddish‑brown or greenish body covered in fine hair‑like setae. It has a broad anterior region, a narrower posterior region, and four pairs of legs.
What does a female spider mite look like? - in detail
The adult female spider mite is a minute arachnid, typically measuring 0.3–0.5 mm in length. Its body is oval‑shaped and covered by a soft, semi‑transparent cuticle that often appears in shades of green, yellow, brown, or reddish‑orange, depending on species and feeding stage. The dorsal surface bears a single, shield‑like plate (the opisthosoma) that may be lightly sclerotized and bears fine setae arranged in regular rows.
Key morphological traits include:
- Eight legs: all legs are short, stout, and equipped with two pairs of claws; the front pair may be slightly longer, aiding in movement across leaf surfaces.
- Eyes: two simple eyes (ocelli) situated on the anterior region of the prosoma; they are small and dark, providing limited vision.
- Mouthparts: a piercing‑sucking stylet (chelicera) adapted for extracting plant sap, located ventrally beneath the gnathosoma.
- Sternal and anal plates: distinct hardened plates on the ventral side, often visible through the translucent cuticle; the anal plate may bear a small tuft of setae.
- Egg‑laying structures: a concealed oviposition tube on the underside of the abdomen, through which the female deposits eggs in a protective silk web.
Coloration can shift during feeding: newly emerged females are pale, while individuals that have consumed large amounts of chlorophyll may turn deep green or reddish. The presence of a dense webbing network on host foliage is a behavioral hallmark, but the web itself is not part of the mite’s anatomy.
Compared with males, the female lacks the elongated, slender forelegs used for grasping during copulation and exhibits a broader abdomen to accommodate egg production. These anatomical details enable reliable identification of the female spider mite in field samples and laboratory examinations.