What does a spider mite look like on eggplants? - briefly
Spider mites appear as minute, pale‑green to reddish specks on the undersides of eggplant leaves, often with fine webbing and stippled yellow‑brown discoloration. Infestations can cause leaf curling and diminish fruit quality if untreated.
What does a spider mite look like on eggplants? - in detail
Spider mites that infest eggplant vines are microscopic arachnids, typically 0.2–0.4 mm in length. Adults possess a flattened, oval body covered with fine hairs, giving a pale yellow‑green to reddish hue depending on diet and age. Legs are long and slender, extending well beyond the body margin, which aids movement across leaf surfaces.
Visible damage appears as a network of tiny, pale stipples on the upper leaf surface. These specks result from cell contents being extracted by the feeding mite. As infestation progresses, the stippling coalesces into larger yellow‑brown patches, often bordered by a darker margin where chlorophyll degradation is most severe. Fine, silken webbing may be observed along leaf veins, at leaf margins, and on the undersides of fruits; the web is delicate, easily brushed away, but its presence confirms active colonization.
Eggs are oval, translucent, and laid in clusters on the lower leaf surface or within webbed shelters. Each egg measures about 0.1 mm and hatches within three to five days under optimal conditions. The emerging larval stage, known as the "nymph," resembles the adult but lacks fully developed legs and displays a lighter coloration. Subsequent molts produce two additional motile stages before reaching adulthood.
Detection relies on magnification of at least 10×. Inspect the undersides of leaves for stippling, web, and egg clusters. Use a handheld lens or a stereomicroscope to differentiate spider mites from other small arthropods. Sampling should include multiple leaves from different canopy levels to assess population density accurately.
Fruit symptoms include surface discoloration, irregular spotting, and occasional deformation where feeding punctures disrupt normal growth. In severe cases, fruit may develop a leathery texture and reduced marketability. Early identification of mite presence on foliage prevents escalation to fruit damage.