{"id":5363,"date":"2026-02-20T15:20:52","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T14:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cubescircle.de\/?post_type=organism&#038;p=5363"},"modified":"2026-02-20T15:29:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T14:29:10","slug":"two-spotted-spider-mite","status":"publish","type":"organism","link":"https:\/\/cubescircle.de\/en\/organism\/two-spotted-spider-mite","title":{"rendered":"Two-Spotted Spider Mite"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-5363","organism","type-organism","status-publish","hentry","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":{"common_name":"Two-Spotted Spider Mite","scientific_name":"Tetranychus urticae (Koch)","taxonomy":{"order":"Acari","family":"Tetranychidae","genus":"Tetranychus","species":"urticae"},"overview":"<p data-start=\"160\" data-end=\"334\">The two-spotted spider mite is one of the most economically important greenhouse and field pests worldwide. It attacks a wide range of vegetable, ornamental, and fruit crops.<\/p>\r\n<p data-start=\"336\" data-end=\"509\">Feeding damage: Mites pierce plant cells and suck out the contents, causing characteristic stippling, leaf bronzing, and eventually leaf desiccation under heavy infestation.<\/p>\r\n<p data-start=\"511\" data-end=\"578\">Hot and dry conditions strongly favor rapid population development.<\/p>","at_a_glance":{"host_plants":"Vegetables (tomato, cucumber, pepper, bean), strawberries, ornamentals, many field crops","where_you_see_it":"Underside of leaves; fine webbing on heavily infested plants","seasonality":"Year-round in greenhouses; peaks in hot, dry summer conditions outdoors","typical_damage":"Stippling, yellow speckles, bronzing, leaf drop, fine webbing"},"difficulty":"high: High","virus_risk":"none","sections":{"identification":"<p data-start=\"604\" data-end=\"721\">Spider mites are extremely small and are usually detected by damage symptoms before the mites themselves are noticed.<\/p>\r\n<p data-start=\"723\" data-end=\"731\">Adults<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul data-start=\"732\" data-end=\"870\">\r\n \t<li data-start=\"732\" data-end=\"772\">\r\n<p data-start=\"734\" data-end=\"772\">Very small (0.4\u20130.5 mm), oval-shaped<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"773\" data-end=\"829\">\r\n<p data-start=\"775\" data-end=\"829\">Pale green to yellow with two dark spots on the back<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"830\" data-end=\"870\">\r\n<p data-start=\"832\" data-end=\"870\">Eight legs; visible with a hand lens<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p data-start=\"872\" data-end=\"878\">Eggs<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul data-start=\"879\" data-end=\"965\">\r\n \t<li data-start=\"879\" data-end=\"930\">\r\n<p data-start=\"881\" data-end=\"930\">Round, translucent eggs laid on leaf undersides<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"931\" data-end=\"965\">\r\n<p data-start=\"933\" data-end=\"965\">Often attached to fine webbing<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p data-start=\"967\" data-end=\"978\">Key Clues<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul data-start=\"979\" data-end=\"1100\">\r\n \t<li data-start=\"979\" data-end=\"1020\">\r\n<p data-start=\"981\" data-end=\"1020\">Fine webbing between leaves and stems<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1021\" data-end=\"1055\">\r\n<p data-start=\"1023\" data-end=\"1055\">Speckled, silvery leaf surface<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1056\" data-end=\"1100\">\r\n<p data-start=\"1058\" data-end=\"1100\">Bronzing and drying under heavy pressure<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","damage":"<p data-start=\"1118\" data-end=\"1227\">Mites puncture plant cells and remove cell contents, reducing photosynthesis and causing chlorotic stippling.<\/p>\r\n<p data-start=\"1229\" data-end=\"1382\">Under high infestation, leaves turn bronze, dry out, and may drop prematurely. Severe infestations can stunt plant growth and significantly reduce yield.<\/p>","life_cycle":"<p data-start=\"1404\" data-end=\"1473\">The life cycle consists of egg, larva, two nymphal stages, and adult.<\/p>\r\n<p data-start=\"1475\" data-end=\"1592\">Development can be completed in 7\u201310 days under warm (25\u201330\u00b0C), dry conditions, allowing rapid population explosions.<\/p>\r\n<p data-start=\"1594\" data-end=\"1648\">Multiple overlapping generations occur in greenhouses.<\/p>","monitoring":"<p data-start=\"1670\" data-end=\"1736\">Inspect leaf undersides regularly, especially during warm periods.<\/p>\r\n<p data-start=\"1738\" data-end=\"1782\">Use a hand lens to detect early populations.<\/p>\r\n<p data-start=\"1784\" data-end=\"1822\">Check for early stippling and webbing.<\/p>","management":"<p data-start=\"1844\" data-end=\"1955\">Biological control: Predatory mites such as Phytoseiulus persimilis are highly effective in greenhouse systems.<\/p>\r\n<p data-start=\"1957\" data-end=\"2033\">Cultural control: Avoid drought stress and excessive nitrogen fertilization.<\/p>\r\n<p data-start=\"2035\" data-end=\"2143\">Chemical control: Use selective acaricides where necessary and rotate modes of action to prevent resistance.<\/p>"}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cubescircle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/organisms\/5363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cubescircle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/organisms"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cubescircle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/organism"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cubescircle.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}