Privet Mite – Brevipalpus obovatus

Privet Mite – Brevipalpusobovatus

Common Name: Privet Mite

Latin Name: Brevipalpusobovatus

Appearance:

The privet mite, Brevipalpus obovatus, is to the Tenuipalpidae family, sometimes known as the flat mites or false spider mites.

It consumes a range of attractive woody plants.

The tiny (0.3 mm), dull, reddish, and heavily textured top of the privet mite (if you have a microscope to admire the texture). While flat mites can cause harm, it happens more gradually since they don’t create silk as spider mites do.

Host plant:     

The privet mite has been reported from Andrachne sp., Barringtonia racemosa, Bignonia sp., blackberry, boxwood, Callistemon sp., Camellia sinensis, Chamaemelum sp.,

Territory:

The private mite can be found throughout the U.S. and North America

Damages caused by Privet Mite:

Privet mites damage plants similarly to spider mites, although flat mites do not create silk. To extract the fluids, false spider mites pierce the host plant’s epidermis with needle-sharp mouthparts. This results in a pale area that might eventually turn brown. Infested shrubs gradually become reddish-brown and show signs of “winter damage.” While the onset of symptoms is gradual, the harm is similar to that caused by spider mites. Additionally, several plant viruses are transmitted by privet mites.

Life history and habits:

Female flat mites lay eggs that start taking 20 to 21 days to hatch at room temperature. The eggs hatch into larvae, which live on food for about two weeks before changing into protonymphs. The protonymphs change into deutonymphs after 15 days of eating. The deutonymphs molt into adult mites two weeks later. In the cold, growth outdoors is slower. Every year, there are four to six generations of privet mites.