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Mites have a unique feeding pattern that differentiates them from other cell
content feeding arthropods: through their specific sucking mouthpiece,
they stick on plant tissues to extract the sap. During feeding mite’s cheliceral
stylets cross the leaf epidermis either in between epidermal pavement
cells or through stomatal openings and they can empty the content of the
mesophyll cells within 10 to 30 minutes. In some cases, mites also inject
substances that can modify the development and growth of tissues causing
very severe deformations and galls. Mites live in groups of hundreds of
thousands of individuals and, in favourable conditions, populations can
grow very rapidly, leading to an extraordinary number of generations in one
single season.
Mites’ feeding and reproduction patterns
through epidermal
pavement cells
through stomatal
openings
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