Last month, I caught a 0.5 mm-long red mite on one of my fig bonsai. I assumed it is a pest and asked an expert to identify it. It turned out to be a predatory species Anystis baccarum which is actually beneficial to plants. It preys on plant eating mites. It’s amazing that just one bonsai tree can provide a whole universe for a tiny monster devouring plant pests we can’t even see. Unfortunately, the photograph of this mite mounted on a microscope slide doesn’t do it justice.
No comments:
Post a Comment