Description:
The adult is 0,5-0,6mm long, pale yellowish or greenish with two dark patches on the body. They become active in March and they lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves. Immature stages are light green with darker markings. It has many overlapping generations annually, and the colonies are protected by strands of fine webbing
Symptoms:
Leaves: Pale spots on leaves, distinct speckling, silvering or bronzing of the foliage, and sometimes withering and premature leaf fall. Presence of silken webbing
Fruits: Reduction of fruit size and quality
Hosts: greenhouse crops (such as tomato, cucumber, pepper), grapevines, fruit trees (such as apple tree, pear tree), ornamental plant etc.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom | Animalia |
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Class | Arachnida |
Order | Trombidiformes |
Family | Tetranychidae |
Genus | Tetranychus |
Species | urticae |
References:
Alford D. V. (2014). Pests of Fruit Crops. A Colour Handbook, CRC Press, 2nd Edition