Spider mites

Eggs of red spider mites are round, white or pink and of size about 0.1 mm. Eggs are usually laid on the under-surface of leaves. They hatch into six-legged larvae, light green in colour, which become reddish coloured adults. The adults are about 0.25 -0.6 mm long. They have eight legs, and produce a fine silk webbing that protects them predators and pesticide sprays. Infested leaves are spotted, yellowish or silvery as a result of feeding by red spider mites. Infested capsules exhibit white speckling. The red spider mites are dispersed by wind and human activity on clothes while working in infested fields. Their development is favoured by warm weather and insufficient rains.