THE ANIMAL FILES

Two-spotted spider mite

Tetranychus urticae

Tiny pale leaf spots can record an animal feeding cell by cell.

The two-spotted spider mite is small enough to appear as a moving speck on a leaf. Its feeding punctures plant cells and removes their contents; fine silk may occur around the occupied leaf surface.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Two-spotted spider mite
Image: Gilles San Martin · Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Size
Adults are barely visible unaided[1]
Food
Contents of plant cells[1]
Development
Larva, two nymph stages, then adult[1]

A mouthpart working at cell scale

A stylet-like mouthpart pierces cells in leaf tissues. Each small feeding injury removes photosynthetic material. Many mites feeding repeatedly can produce extensive stippling even though each animal and each lesion is tiny.[1]

One mite, many host plants

This mite feeds on many different plants, including vegetables, fruit crops and ornamentals. A broad host range distinguishes it from animals restricted to one plant species, but does not mean every plant is equally suitable.[1]

Eggs do not all follow the same route

Unfertilised eggs develop into males, a reproductive pattern called arrhenotoky. After hatching, a larva passes through two nymph stages before adulthood. Mated females can overwinter in a dormant state.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Does a tiny feeding mark imply negligible collective effects?

No. Repeated cell-level damage accumulates across a leaf when many mites feed on it.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why can pale stippling appear without large holes?

Reveal the explanation

The mites remove individual cell contents rather than chewing away large pieces of leaf.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Two-spotted spider mite (fixed revision; adapted and translated)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Tetranychus urticae (identity and classification)

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

Itch miteCount the legs at different ages: six becomes eight.Sarcoptes scabiei ↗Castor bean tickA tiny animal's journey crosses several hosts.Ixodes ricinus ↗Brown recluse spiderA violin mark is a clue, not a verdict.Loxosceles reclusa ↗