Which statement about mite stippling vs insect stippling is true?

Which statement about mite stippling vs insect stippling is true?

• A. Much finer due to smaller mouthparts.
• B. Much coarser due to larger mouthparts
• C. Same size stippling as insects
• D. Stippling is not produced by mites

Answer: (A)

Stippling is the tiny speckling or pale spots you see on plant tissue when pests feed with piercing-sucking mouthparts. The size of that stippling reflects the size of the pest’s mouthparts. Mites have very small mouthparts, so their feeding tends to leave fine, very small stippling. In contrast, insects often have larger mouthparts, which can produce coarser or larger stippling patterns. That’s why the correct statement is that mite stippling is much finer due to smaller mouthparts. The other options don’t fit: mites can produce stippling, so it isn’t true that stippling isn’t produced by mites; stippling isn’t typically the same size as insect stippling because of the mouthpart size difference; and stippling isn’t coarser due to mites having larger mouthparts.

Stippling is the tiny speckling or pale spots you see on plant tissue when pests feed with piercing-sucking mouthparts. The size of that stippling reflects the size of the pest’s mouthparts. Mites have very small mouthparts, so their feeding tends to leave fine, very small stippling. In contrast, insects often have larger mouthparts, which can produce coarser or larger stippling patterns. That’s why the correct statement is that mite stippling is much finer due to smaller mouthparts. The other options don’t fit: mites can produce stippling, so it isn’t true that stippling isn’t produced by mites; stippling isn’t typically the same size as insect stippling because of the mouthpart size difference; and stippling isn’t coarser due to mites having larger mouthparts.