544 SOME SOUTH INDIAN INSECTS, ETC 



ARACHNIDA. 



ACARINA (Mites). 

 TETRANYCHUS BIOCULATUS, W.-M. 



(RED SPIDER). 



Tetranychus bioculatus, Wood-Mason. Report on Tea-Mite (1884); 

 I. MX.. III. i)i. 4. pp. 48-56, figs. ; Green, Perad. Circ. I. No. 17. pp. 

 [98 199; Lefroy, Ind. Ins. Pesis. t. 2; Watt and Mann. Pests of Tea, 

 PP- 348 359. f. 40. 



Fig. -139.— Tetranychus bioculatus, male and female. The small figures 

 within the dotted circles show the real sizes. Original.) 



Distribution. — Probably throughout the Tea Districts of Southern 

 India. 



Lifehistory. The mites live in colonies on the upper surface of 

 mature leaves under a very delicate protective web. The reel eggs 

 are laid in hollows, usually close to a rib of the leaf, and the 

 newly-hatched \011ng have only three pairs of legs but soon attain 

 the adult condition in which they have four pairs of legs. The 

 female mite is only about 1 mm. (one twenty-fifth of an inch) 

 between the tips of the out-stretched fore and hind legs, and the 

 male is still smaller. 



Foodplants. — Tea. Probably on other plants also; Green men- 

 tions tomato. 



Stat us. Sometimes a serious pest of tea. Although the mites 

 feed only on the older leaves, the loss of sap due to their sucking 

 the juices <>i the plant causes the leaves to become dry and curled 

 and in bail cases to fall off. 



Control. (1) The mites are most injurious during spells of dry 

 weather. Heavy rains arc inimical to them. 



