8 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



THE COMMON RED OR SIX-SPOTTED SPIDER OR MITE. 



*Tctn/in/cJni.s hiiiKtciihii iix Ilarv. 



( 'I'cf )•(!)) i/cli lis scj'iiKicuUitiis Kilcy.) 



(Pig. 10.) 



General Appearance. — This species dike the other mites) is exceed- 

 ingly small and individuals are seldom noticed exceptiny' when they 

 collect in ^reat numbers. The color is red with a yellowish tinge and 

 usually with two darker spots on each side of the body. The young 

 greath^ resemble the adults but have six rather than eight legs. 



Life History. — The mites usually begin to appear after the first 

 warm weather in the spring, the winter having been spent in the ground. 

 They spin threads so as to conceal themselves, their eggs and young, 

 on the undersides of the leaves and feed directly upon the tissues of the 

 plant by sucking which gradually stunts and kills the latter. The 

 common red mite is a serious greenhouse 

 pest, where, under favorable conditions, 

 it is able to woi'k throughout the entire 

 year. 



Distribution. — Though of foreign 

 origin this mite has become thoroughly 

 distributed over the entire State and is 

 met alike in field and greenhouse. 



Food Plants. — This mite is an omniv- 

 orous feeder, apparently without any 

 favorite food. The plants which it is 

 known to attack are sugar beets, beans, 

 sage, tomato, eggplant, pepper, cucum- 

 ber, squash, cowpea, hops, berries, violet. 

 rose, clematis, mignonette, pink, fuchsia, 

 pelargonium, godetia, passiflora, fever- 

 few, thunbergia, verbena, heliotrope, 

 moon-fiower, calla. smilax and easier 



lil^'. Via. 10. The common i-ed .spider 



' ^ ( Tet7-(tvijrhus bimaculatus Harv. ). 



Control. — Sull)hur and dehydrated «. tidult; t, tarsus; c, beak and pal- 



liiiiQ i^iivrwl ;,, ^ ^1 A- " J P"^> ''• tip f*f palpus. (L^. S. Dept. 



lime mixed m equal proportions and Agrci.) 

 thoroughly sprinkled over the plants are 



recommended. Sprays such as emulsions, resin wash and soap solu- 

 tions are efficient remedies, but these are usually too destructive to the 

 tender leaves of the food plants to be practicalile. The flour paste 

 spray is especially recommendt'tl iu such cases. 



Natural Enemies.— The minute black ladybirtl beetles {Stet horns 

 vagans and Stethorus picipes) and the larva^ of the syrphid flies 

 ])rey upon this mite. 



*We are informed by Dr. H. E. Ewing tliat the correct name of this species is 

 Tetranychus telarius lAnn. 



