The cyclamen mite (Phytonemus pallidus) is a microscopic tarsonemid mite, a close relative of the broad mite. It prefers cool, humid conditions and feeds inside folded buds and shoot tips of crops such as cyclamen, African violet and strawberry. Feeding leaves new leaves crinkled, thickened and stunted.
In practice
Growers sometimes say "cyclamen mites" for any invisible mite that twists cannabis tips. In most cannabis cases the culprit turns out to be the broad mite or the hemp russet mite; cyclamen mite on cannabis is rarely documentedbeing reviewed. The distinction matters for scouting more than control, since both tarsonemids are handled the same way: quarantine new plants, inspect growing tips under 40x or more, and use predatory mites such as Neoseiulus cucumeris or Amblyseius swirskii. Keep ornamental houseplants, especially cyclamen and strawberries, out of the grow room.
Don't confuse with
- Broad mite: favours warmer rooms and is the documented tarsonemid on cannabis.
- Hemp russet mite: eriophyid, four legs, carrot-shaped, bronzes leaves.
- Genetic leaf mutations: show on one plant or one cut, with no mites present.
Polyphagotarsonemus latus, a microscopic tarsonemid mite whose toxic feeding twists, glazes and stunts new growth; often mistaken for calcium deficiency or heat stress.The zone of dividing cells at the very tip of a shoot (or root) that produces new leaves, nodes and stem; removing it is what topping does.Aculops cannabicola, a microscopic eriophyid mite specific to cannabis that causes upward leaf curl, bronzing and dull, greasy-looking trichomes.Mites, mostly of the family Phytoseiidae, released as biological control to eat pest mites, thrips larvae, whitefly eggs or fungus gnat larvae.A predatory mite that eats first-stage thrips larvae and some broad and cyclamen mites; tolerant of cooler rooms and widely used in sachets as a preventive.A warmth-loving generalist predatory mite that eats thrips larvae, whitefly eggs and nymphs and broad mites, and can persist on pollen.Tetranychus urticae, the commonest cannabis mite indoors: a 0.5 mm sap-feeder that stipples leaves pale and spins webbing, breeding fastest in hot, dry rooms.Holding incoming plants, clones or seeds apart from the main grow, under observation and sometimes treatment, until they are shown to be free of pests and disease.
