# Stippling

> A pattern of many tiny pale dots on leaves where a sucking pest such as a spider mite has emptied individual cells; the first visible sign of a mite infestation.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/stippling.html
- Also written: stipples, leaf stippling, speckled leaves, pin-prick spots
- Glossary category: Pests and diseases · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

Stippling is the speckled look of a leaf covered in hundreds of tiny pale or white dots. Each dot is a cell, or a small group of cells, emptied by a feeding mite or insect. On cannabis it is the classic early sign of [two-spotted spider mites](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/two-spotted-spider-mite.md), usually seen on the upper surface while the mites feed underneath (Utah State University Extension).

## In practice

When you see stippling, turn the leaf over and use a 10-30x lens: spider mites, round eggs, cast skins and fine silk confirm it. Heavy stippling merges into a bronzed, grey or dusty look and the leaf yellows. Calcium spots differ: they are fewer, larger and irregular, and no insects are present.

## Don't confuse with

- **Thrips damage**: silvery, papery streaks with tiny black dots of excrement.
- **Calcium spots**: rust-brown patches with no pests underneath.
- **Septoria leaf spot**: larger spots with dark margins and black fruiting bodies.

## Related terms

[Two-spotted spider mite](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/two-spotted-spider-mite.md), [Thrips](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thrips.md), [Jeweler's loupe](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/jewelers-loupe.md), [Scouting](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/scouting.md)

## Read more

- [Spider mites on cannabis: life tables, ID and IPM](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/spider-mites.md)
- [Thrips on cannabis: life table, temperature, scouting and biological control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/thrips.md)
- [Cannabis lookalike problems: how to tell them apart](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/diagnosis/lookalikes.md)

## Sources

1. Utah State University Extension. Two-Spotted Spider Mite (hemp). https://extension.usu.edu/planthealth/ipm/notes_ag/hemp-spider-mites.php