LEAFLT 68NOVEMBER 1962
Biology and control of
SPIDER MITES on COTTON
in ALABAMA
T. D. CANERDAY, Gradjuote Research Assistont
T. F. WATSON, Assistant Entomologist
F. S. ARANT, Head, Deportment of Zoology-Entomology
111E \[rIT LI, , solilltilie, called~ reI
f)1ic , attik i \ iiotx of \ x\x Id, ialt I
til ii-tfiofotis, ill-cI \ isifilc to thei
wdkof tx , xii o il t h udisid o fgc toe
Ia(is 8111 suc juiccs fromi the 
1
)lliits.
ilusoii. loss of \ko an0 d d1(1 iscoIlrtionl
of' oIii8(,t. A fiiw wt l t is sf110 oil ht
iifestt'd alrils of tfhe liox x.
Foi tx~ii \eIl ars, t1cx havx tcaiud dilm
\ioii areas I ~oS f nor)1thern Ai.lab~ama ii
Mii iioxx\ l)Cc(onllgr coloilliC fpits ill ((ci
till aji it oitherii \ilbilmil. htl ilicet
.\ iirs sp~~ider iiiittx \vCit not 
coliSidti c
it illil cottoil [list bectillil oiih sf)I
1i ,(li imd( localizedl ouitbreaks occurredf.
Thi ocrt sil(1 dimli.e from spi~c I m' tts
11, ltx r4\loIped (0)1(111 iti xx ff1 the ,idf
\eit 811(1 xlulsxelitti x (tn t \i piid uist oIf
1 ititf ic 0118ii ilxtectic-(Ics il co~to I.
\iost oIf, tilt itlsetilds tvsti ox till
pred~ator and1( otfiti btiwfhici I: isccts
xx ithlt litr-oilill thei Ilitcts f fIox tfie
nolites, (itt of hilfoiili cwlltbol, of (cii
Illtlitiflix tor s i8tsi0 c)liitc cIll fix Ifls
i11(1 plill it phx isiolop ippcai to ilffcit
popilihltii Is, hot thc cill lgt ill tht il)-
lotriCl ididice appearsi to fbt thet pte-
FIGURE 1. (Title picture) Adult female
spider mite (carmine), about 70X enlarge-
ment at left, and spider mite eggs, 30X en-
largement, are shown at right.
A G RI CU L TU RA L EXP ER IM E NT
E.V.Smt, irctr AUBURN UNIVE=RSITY
S T ATIO N
Auburn, Alabama
LEAFLET 68
E, V. Smith, Director
FIGURE 2. Cotton iuavus with varying de-
grees of spider mite damage ore shown here.
Iit titlt iliite lix littl~ aidel (111 t ia ul
hi trelic i lix i ll t illfb r 'itlhl it I ii titic ii xh it
DESCRIPTION of STAGES
tiderix tlitI hit itxet sml Iilax tl itpd
cutittti Iii lat n aints tlec txit x~ttt
4-te 11 th iil tiiu Ault iIti Other
iI II ttbou 1l50 ofxalit iii xiii, imdi
Iboii i hajl it \i~l, l itxx i c 1 I. i l s are
tixith l l. t iii it it lii Ilix titi ll ti ithI t
broadii ipt ica l I ii l c ii i i lii ici i
lobc pl illr mtttite. 1' i o1x s I Ilolt' I (I till
I01111 lie t tilii ox i tt i Iviish l
1  
clor.i
Hliitttti ics ithae cireet c nxi i cr iitc.i
'Ittl t hc t\% o.i a d t rl, k x i tt titild x t\% ot
titt iti ilk so i ic ie o
theii arbodv.tx liildii i
MMI itt it i ll lii et 1% dupi (dii (t tl tit
a of ith tim t ad xp)Teiix of th~ Ilite.
oil th t (it i surfacex o thel l c till icg 1 eh.
t it i Itii . li lie t t ii th a-
tx c i l ii 
1
l eilite x il. it,t ll ttg Lti x a-
it l itc thu 1,1 atj i t ~lolit hoit tilt
\ It) it 1 Ho ic so i ei ( it d iii ilttilt i Ii
ciotnd i i ixtiition. T c li . \x ii f i the ii
Tl lie w ii-'x x ie ed k 'lolile feedis ioi
81))1I)I~)8ljX 1 (lAX blelore lilv014 lhe-
(Tills. 0l1(v beguiii, emg lil iligT illiX (oo-
VIX ('30)) eggs IllicX he1 (1(1) sited (1111111
the feinale adullt lit,. 11he t\eriae moo-1
soime iolbXixiiials deposIIit oi lx 25 01 .:30.
I'll' rite of1 lia ing starts alt 11 lowxl'xe
emItiInlIC to rise sharpIlx ' \1 an peaks 1101
iI 1w the secon wC~l~ elk. Di II ilog this peak
per iod of lax 11114. a lelilae IllivlX v LiX s
imylI iXs 20) eggs il ow dav. 1'oiioXX iw
DAMAGE
Spider inites fesell oIil' e X lowe surfa1ce'
of leav es; tinis their f)IeX(l tee ill ia field
to tihe llIX es (leelli-s Ilnjilry to tihl le8X CX
Oe(C1'tl WhX enl feedillg mlites rupifture the
cellsI and (It tliX te lan jiti ices he
ill tile des'tructtion o ( -Itll(Ir(1
1
)lII il11( re-
tileti' proes ofCX lt tie inftested lei' is 1111-
paired or destro(IXeli. Latehil isi 111 of
FiGURE S3. This is a ccttn plant
damage frcm a heavy spider mite
tion.
showing
infesta-
FIGURE 4. Shown here is a field of cotton
extensively damaged by spider mites.
piderXI1118 Xie ent(er, Ctlfeld ('I. tll
I-lie preseoll'i ofI mlites is iIXHilX liotill'
first illolng theill' 1111gills illit oci~elsili lLk
ill all \14 t fit1 fild~. Localized ill esti-
tilols ma~l ' \ be'sprea to iiiiiifestel a111as
b\X illitcillerv IX a 1181 llillilX. orI X Illd.
Thfil ~l s picsii ies ofltI spaidaer illt op
tha )1tiltil' Cotton' dife ae ew il ill1
firstel L'gi(li f spde i(IXX 5 ollifi~rei iht ill'-
;11(e s'lllls till- el to l e d11'ill X 11 11
11loc 31155tilo' of tht'Xts u iitX ol th 1111
illiseC' t1Oilt etilclea pesal b11011' is '
CONTROL
The various species of spider mites
that attack cotton differ somewhat in
their reaction to miticides. Positive spe-
cies identification can be made only by
specialists with the aid of a microscope;
therefore, it is advisable to use a miticide
that is known to be effective against all
species. The following miticides have
been found to effectively control all spe-
cies of spider mites that attack cotton in
Alabama and are currently recommended
at the rates indicated: 2% Trithion dust
at the rate of 25 to 50 pounds per acre,
or 1 to 2 pints of 4 pounds per gallon of
emulsifiable concentrate Trithion spray;
3'% Ethion dust at the rate of 20 to 30
pounds per acre or 1 to 2 pints of 4
pounds per gallon of emulisfiable concen-
trate Ethion spray; or Demeton (Systox)
spray at the rate of 1 to 11/2 pints of 2
pounds per gallon of emulsifiable concen-
trate per acre.
Each cotton field should be examined
weekly, and control measures started as
soon as leaves begin to show damage or
when mites are found in large numbers.
Treatment along field margins when
spider mites first appear may prevent
spreading over the entire field. It is ad-
visable to treat the entire field when
damage and/or mites are found through-
out the field or when several areas within
a field are infested.
If spider mites are a problem during
most years in a field, one application of
a recommended miticide to the vegeta-
tion around the field about planting time
or early in the growing season may pre-
vent spider mites from becoming a prob-
lem later in the season.
In many fields effective cultural prac-
tices may reduce the need for chemical
control of spider mites. The likelihood
of spider mites occurring in cotton fields
may be reduced by: (1) clearing weeds
and other host plants from areas adjacent
to cotton fields before planting; and (2)
maintaining a barrier of broken soil about
10 feet wide around fields during the
growing season. These precautions will
reduce the possibility of spider mite in-
troduction by machinery. However,
weeds and brush should not be cleared
from around fields during the growing
season, since removal of the food supply
forces these pests into the cotton field.
PRECAUTIONS
Miticides are poisonous to man and
animals and should be handled with
care. Apply these miticides at the rec-
ommended rates. Follow directions and
heed all precautions on container labels.