⚠ Moderate🩺
Pests
Fiddle Leaf Fig Spider Mites — Pale Stippling and Webbing on Large Leaves
Commonly affects: Ficus lyrata — and other Ficus species
The large, textured leaves of Ficus lyrata develop a pale, bronzy stippled surface as spider mites pierce individual cells and extract their contents. Fine webbing becomes visible between leaf surfaces and stems when infestations are advanced. Because Ficus lyrata leaves are large and somewhat rough-textured, mite webbing can be missed in early stages — inspect the leaf undersides carefully. Spider mites in Ficus lyrata typically arrive from neighbouring plants or through open windows and establish quickly in warm, dry indoor conditions.
Potential Causes
- 1Hot, dry indoor air (>25°C, <40% RH) — the primary environmental driver
- 2Transfer from nearby infested plants
- 3Dusty leaves providing shelter for mite colonies
Solution Steps
- 1Wipe all leaf surfaces (both sides) with a damp cloth to physically remove mites, eggs, and webbing.
- 2Spray with neem oil or insecticidal soap solution weekly for 4-6 cycles.
- 3Increase humidity above 60% to inhibit mite reproduction.
- 4Keep leaves clean and dust-free — mites establish more readily on dusty surfaces.
- 5Use a specific miticide (abamectin or bifenazate) for severe infestations, rotating with the above treatments.
Prevention Tip
Monthly leaf-wiping with a damp cloth removes mites in the early colonisation phase before they can reproduce to damaging population levels.
