Violets, chickweed, pokeweed, wild mustard, hairy vetch, red clover, Carolina geranium, and blackberry are common hosts from which infestations spread to crops nearby. Damge - Mites pierce the epidermis and extract sap from the undersides of leaves. Infested foliage soon assumes a whitish or bronze appearance. The undersurfaces of leaves usually are covered with silken webs over which the mites crawl. Heavily infested plants may have webs all over them.
Close examination reveals adult mites on the leaves, but the larvae initiate damage.
Life History - Twospotted spider mites overwinter as females resistant to low temperatures. These females are red as opposed to the active summer forms which are yellowish-green. In greenhouses or during mild winters, some feeding and egg-laying activities may continue. The number of eggs laid depends largely on temperature. After an incubation period of 3 to 19 days, six-legged larvae hatch from the eggs and feed.