Red spiders (spider mite?)

Daluke · Post by **Daluke** » October 6th, 2014, 7:29 am

This morning I noticed a few bugs (only two) on two of my trees.

They look like little red spiders or ants and move quick.

They are visible to the naked eye and you don't have to get in that close to see them.

I've looked up red spider mite and haven't been able to identify the pest yet.

Over to you...

treeman · Post by **treeman** » October 6th, 2014, 9:31 am

Not mites. (they are barely visible). There is a preditory mite which is quite large (half the size of a pinhead) and looks like its covered in red felt. Just to be sure, spray the thing with the most toxic thing you can find.

Andrew Legg · Post by **Andrew Legg** » October 6th, 2014, 3:43 pm

Definitely not RSM. Is the tree unhealthy? If not, I would just ignore it. Our trees are after all ecosystems on their own. You will not be able to see RSM unless you tap them off the foliage onto a piece of white paper.

Daluke · Post by **Daluke** » October 6th, 2014, 4:35 pm

Andrew Legg wrote:Definitely not RSM. Is the tree unhealthy? If not, I would just ignore it. Our trees are after all ecosystems on their own. You will not be able to see RSM unless you tap them off the foliage onto a piece of white paper.

The trees aren't unhealthy!

thoglette · Post by **thoglette** » October 6th, 2014, 10:29 pm

Daluke wrote:
They look like little red spiders or ants and move quick.

They are visible to the naked eye and you don't have to get in that close to see them.

I have them as well. Individuals, not RSM I think

Daluke · Post by **Daluke** » October 7th, 2014, 9:31 am

I found another.

My hands are average size (for scale of course).

treeman · Post by **treeman** » October 7th, 2014, 11:40 am

A bit blurry but it looks like a red velvet mite which is a predator and harmless.

thoglette · Post by **thoglette** » October 8th, 2014, 10:27 pm

treeman wrote:A bit blurry but it looks like a red velvet mite which is a predator and harmless.

Most Trombidiidae are about 5mm when adult - what I'm seeing are 1mm as adults. Still, likely arachnids

A search on .edu.au and .gov.au does show miniture "Trombidium" as a pest but this may or may not be the same thing.

Indeed they are more likey to be TrombiculidaeHarvest mites" which are animal parasites.

AusBonsai

Red spiders (spider mite?)

Red spiders (spider mite?)

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