California growers should look for red palm mite on infected foliage

Red palm mite (Raoiella indica Hirst) is the latest pest that Jim Bethke, San Diego County floriculture and nursery farm adviser, is telling growers to be on the lookout for. The bright-red mite is very small with long setae or hairs. It is easily moved from workers brushing against infested foliage. Infestations may not be seen until significant damage has occurred.

Red palm mite can be distinguished from spider mites by its color, long setae and flattened bodies. The red mites prefer leaf undersides and are found in dense groups that are visible to the naked eye. Many white cast skins of immature stages may be present.

High mite populations cause localized chlorosis followed by tissue necrosis.

The mite has been confirmed in the Caribbean islands and is expected to eventually move into Florida, where many of California’s palms originate.

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For more: Jim Bethke, University of California Cooperative Extension, 334 Via Vera Cruz, Suite 152, San Diego, CA 92078; (760) 752-4715; bethke@ucr.edu; www.sel.barc.usda.gov/acari/PDF/indicaGuide.pdf.