COTTON MITE
Tetranychus tellarius (Boisd.) (Tetranychidae : Acarina)

IDENTIFICATION

- Very minute in size, usually invisible to naked eye.
- Oval in shape, 4 pair of legs.
- Reddish yellow in colour.
- Body sparsely covered with reddish spines.
- Leaf covered with web

LIFE HISTORY
Egg : 4 – 7 days
Larva : 3 – 5 days
Nymph: 6 – 10 days
Adult : 5 – 20 days

DAMAGE
- Make web underside the leaves and sucks cell sap

- Leaves appear reddish

- Drying, withering and shedding of leaves in severe attack

- Plants loose vigour and die

- Attack appears in patches

- Dry and hot weather favours its multiplication

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM)

- Clean cultivation

- Avoid repeated spray of pyrethroids

- Spray in patches