What does a spider mite look like on tomato seedlings? - briefly
Spider mites appear as minute, pale yellow‑to‑reddish specks, 0.2‑0.5 mm long, with a translucent oval body and eight legs visible only under magnification. Infested seedlings commonly exhibit fine webbing on leaf undersides and stippled, yellowed foliage.
What does a spider mite look like on tomato seedlings? - in detail
Spider mites on young tomato plants are tiny, usually 0.2–0.5 mm long, oval‑shaped, and red‑brown to pale yellow. Their bodies consist of a hard dorsal shield and eight legs, each ending in fine, hair‑like setae. Under magnification the mites appear as speckled dots moving rapidly across leaf surfaces.
Visible symptoms include:
- Stippled foliage – tiny, pale spots where cells have been pierced; spots may merge into a lace‑like pattern.
- Webbing – fine, silk‑like threads in leaf axils, under the leaf, and at the base of stems; webs are most noticeable when infestation is heavy.
- Leaf discoloration – progressive yellowing, bronzing, or necrosis beginning at the leaf margins and advancing inward.
- Reduced vigor – slowed growth, wilting, and early fruit drop caused by loss of photosynthetic tissue.
The mites prefer the undersides of leaves, congregating near veins and the junction of leaflets. They thrive in warm, dry conditions; relative humidity below 50 % accelerates reproduction. Populations can increase from 20 to several hundred individuals per square centimeter within a week.
Detection methods:
- Examine leaf undersides with a 10× hand lens or low‑power microscope; count mites per leaf segment.
- Look for fine webbing; a single thread indicates an established colony.
- Use a sticky trap placed near the plant canopy; captures adult females and nymphs for confirmation.
Understanding these characteristics enables early identification and timely control measures.