Natural enemies of spider mites

Often a thrips is found in the middle of spider mite colonies.

Many predators are valuable enemies of spider mites.  Thrips of various species are considered some of the most important predators of spider mites and mite eggs (7, 8). Unfortunately in the Midsouth these same thrips are considered cotton pests and very often are controlled early in the season.  Thrips control most likely contributes to spider mite problems later in the season.  Hemipteran predators such as the minute pirate bugs (Orius spp.), big-eyed bugs (Geocoris spp.) and predaceous phytoseid mites can also be important.  In our studies as well as others, phytoseid mites were not common in cotton and apparently play little role (9).  Parasitoids are unknown from spider mites.  Entomopathogenic fungi, particularly Neozygites floridana, is an extremely important natural enemy of spider mites and can rapidly reduce populations when the humidity is high (9, 10, 11, 12).  Because fungal epizootics can rapidly reduce mite populations it is important that scouting show that live mites are present before treating a field.
 

Thrips are great predators of spider mite eggs.

Immature thrips help hold down spider mite populations.