We received recently a greenhouse tomato sample with what appeared to be a disease symptom similar to a mold. Leaves were drying and stems and fruit looked bronzed and generally unhealthy. When examining under a stereomicroscope we noticed there were thousands of conical-shaped creatures, smaller than thrips larvae with four legs at the anterior part of the body and hairs at the tapered posterior end. Dr. Mike Matheron Extension Plant Pathologist discarded any possible disease. Then we send the sample to Dr. John Palumbo, Entomologist Research Scientist and Extension Specialist who identified this pest immediately as the: "Tomato Russet Mite" (Aculops lycopersicii). Would you like to see a short video of this interesting pest? Click on the following link: "Tomato Russet Mite".

To contact Marco Peña go to: marcop@ag.arizona.edu.

For questions or comments on any of the topics please contact Marco Pena at the Yuma Agricultural Center.
College of Agriculture, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.