Halloween at the Country Park

Ghostly goings on in the Quarry? Well actually no. These webs are created by Tetranycus lintearius the Gorse Spider Mite. The adults are half a millimetre long and bright red. A native to Europe, it has been introduced to other countries as a biological control measure, although it does not actually kill gorse it can reduce flowering and stunt the development of branches. The mites pierce the tissues of the plant whilst feeding.

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