How many eggs can one female two-spotted spider mite lay?

How many eggs can one female two-spotted spider mite lay?

• A. Over 100.
• B. Less than 20
• C. About 50
• D. Exactly 70

Answer: (A)

Reproductive output of a single female two-spotted spider mite is very high. A female lays eggs almost daily for about two weeks, and under favorable temperatures and good nutrition she can produce well over 100 eggs in her lifetime. This rapid, sustained egg laying leads to fast population growth on ornamentals and turf, which is why the answer is over 100. Other numbers underestimate what can occur when conditions are right, so they don’t fit with the observed fecundity of this pest.

Reproductive output of a single female two-spotted spider mite is very high. A female lays eggs almost daily for about two weeks, and under favorable temperatures and good nutrition she can produce well over 100 eggs in her lifetime. This rapid, sustained egg laying leads to fast population growth on ornamentals and turf, which is why the answer is over 100. Other numbers underestimate what can occur when conditions are right, so they don’t fit with the observed fecundity of this pest.