Under magnification, the mite is dark reddish to brown in color.
Mites go through a larval and nymph stage before becoming adults.
Broadleaf evergreens, especially azalea, camellia, holly and rhododendron. Southern Red Mites are most damaging from September through April. Because they feed on leaf surfaces, the color of leaves will indicate their presence. With light infestations of mites, sap sucked from the leaves on the lower leaf surface will result in white stippling, concentrated along the leaf midrib. Heavy infestations, resulting in feeding damage on the upper and lower leaf surface, will cause the leaf to turn gray or brown.