Plant Health Initiative

Mite life cycle

Adult spider mites are tiny arthropods with eight legs, not six, like insects, and no wings. Most are greenishwhite or yellow, and occasionally orange or brown, and have a pair of distinct dark spots on the outer edges of the back.

Spider mites have a relatively simple life cycle, progressing through three stages between egg and adult. The two-spotted spider mite overwinters as adult females. Egg laying begins in late April or May and hatch in 5 to 8 days into the protonymph stage which later molts to a deutonymph stage, followed by the adult stage with 8 legs.

The time from egg to adult normally requires about 3 weeks, but may take less time under hot and dry conditions. Depending on weather conditions, 5 to 10 generations may occur within a growing season