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      <page pageid="1738" ns="0" title="Recomended Online Shops">
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[http://www.desirableplants.com/ Desirable Plants]

[http://www.junglegardens.co.uk/ Jungle Plants]</rev>
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      <page pageid="1706" ns="0" title="Red spider mite">
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          <rev contentformat="text/x-wiki" contentmodel="wikitext" xml:space="preserve">*[[Main Page]]
*[[Pests, Diseases &amp; Disorders]]



*Pest type: 			Mite 
*Order:  			Arachnida
*Scientific name:		Tetranychus urticae
*English name:		Glasshouse red spider mite



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|+'''Red Spider Mite'''
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[[Image:Rsm1.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Adult – 0.5mm long, egg – 0.1mm long]]
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[[Image:Rsm2.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Symptoms – leaf speckled.]]
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[[Image:Rsm3.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Signs - Web &amp; mites]]
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'''Signs of infestation:''' The mites are visible on the leaves, initially on the underside. They congregate on the growing shoots, and webs can be seen.

'''Symptoms of infestation:''' Myriad tiny whitish speckles are visible on the leaves as a result of the sap sucking action from the underside, where there may be yellowish orange discolouration. After prolonged attack, the leaves appear bleached. Close examination shows the remaining transparent upper epidermis of the leaf. The leaves may drop.

'''Biology, reproduction and spread:''' The lifecycle is incomplete, with many generations in a year. Mites over-winter as dormant adults in crevices in bark outside and in glasshouses. Activity starts in late spring as temperatures increase and females crawl to infest plants, feeding on cellular sap with their tiny piercing and sucking mouthparts, injecting poison into the leaf mesophyll cells, and laying eggs. Larvae with three pairs of legs emerge, feed, and develop into nymphs with four pairs of legs. Within two weeks they develop into adults, mate, and females lay eggs. The eggs can hatch within a week at temperatures over 25oC and the lifecycle continues so numbers increase considerably within a short time.  They prefer low humidity. The mites crawl amongst plants, and can be transferred from area to area by wind, on animals and clothing. Their colour changes from yellowish to reddish in autumn as days shorten, and females that have already been fertilised, move away to hibernate in crevices.

'''Prevention and control treatments and methods.'''
 
'''Physical and cultural:''' Purchase clean plants from reputable growers. Check plants regularly for signs and symptoms of infestation. Use overhead sprays for irrigation to increase humidity. When checking plants for infestation, check known infested areas last to prevent the spread via clothing. Fumigate glasshouses in winter to kill dormant mites. Encourage natural predators like lacewings, Chrysopa spp. by providing food sources such as poached-egg plants, Limnanthes douglasii.

'''Biological – together with benefits and limitations:''' Introduce a predatory mite such as Phytoseiulus persimilis. They are most active when temperatures exceed 20oC, so are really only effective from May onwards, but in order for them to reproduce more quickly than the pest, they need temperatures of 28oC. They, unlike the pest, prefer high humidity, so this method of cultural control can be used alongside the biological control. The benefit of using these methods is that they are harmless to humans, so crops can be eaten safely. 

'''Chemical:''' For outdoor and indoor crops spray a product containing fenbutatin oxide which will act as a contact acaricide, or a product such as Savona, which is a soft soap type containing fatty acids.

'''Legislative:''' None

'''How the pest affects the health and vitality of the host plant:''' Leaves are damaged; the mesophyll layer of cells is killed so they cannot photosynthesise. The plant will not thrive, and flowers and fruits will be stunted. Heavy infestations will kill the plant.</rev>
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