What Do Spider Mites Look Like?

To the naked eye, spider mites appear as little white dots under a leaf or on a stem. Adult spider mites have two red eyes, hairy bodies and eight legs. In the winter, the adult females can turn red.

Size

Spider mites are 1/50 of an inch--about the size of a flea. Heavily infested plants look like they are speckled with brown dots.

Spider Mite Traits

Spider mites are related to arachnids, and they are not insects. They have four pairs of legs like spiders, no antennas and have oval bodies.

Twospotted Spider Mite

This warm-season mite, whether an adult or nymph, is white with two greenish spots. In the winter, females can turn reddish-orange and be mistaken for other species of mites.

Spruce Spider Mite

This cool-season mite spends most of its time in the egg stage, attached to the host plant.

Habitat

Spider mites spend their entire lives under leaves. They do best in hot, dry, dusty conditions.