Could someone please help me figure out if this is damage by spider mites on a Monstera? For the life of me, Ive spent the good part of the day trying to find a single photo of how damage of spider mites looks on a monstera and just cant.

Little background: they started appearing like a month ago on one leaf and I thought: just plants being plants. But the spots have since spread to other leaves (not to all) and to other Monstera plants (not to all). I have been looking to find any pests or anything and I found 2 (!) spider mites on a totally distant plant that has 0 damage. Tiny bit webbing on the mentioned plant too. But on the plants/leaves where the spots from the photos are the most: I cannot find a single mite or a single web.

So now Im sitting and thinking: is it damage by the mites, or is it fungal/bacterial/some weird virus? The spots look like indents and I am not able to find any powder or fussy stuff on them on any plant (I checked with a jewelry magnifyer).

Thanks in advance!

Adding some more photos

It is hard to detect sider mites from photos. Closeups tend to reveal stuff that may look like a problem without actually being one.

When you rub the leaves between your fingers do they feel smooth or gritty?


Do you see anything on the undersides of the leaves that look like fine particles of dust?

I'm unsure how to answer the question of how the leaves feel. They feel normal like not velvety and not gritty. The spots are indent not raised. And I was not able to find any pests on the plants that got the most spots.

As I mentioned I saw 2 spider mites with webbing on another plant but that plant has no spots or anything. Or I can neither exclude nor conclude that the spots are caused by spider mites. However, I do not know how damage from spider mites look on a monstera so I'm baffled if the damage present on the leaves is indicative of a spider mites or maybe something fungal/bacterial. However, when I had thrips, the damage on different plant species presented itself differently, that is why I'm so confused at this point whether to use a miticide or a fungicide. Google provides me with 0 photos of damage from spider mites on a monstera.

WillC said:It is hard to detect sider mites from photos. Closeups tend to reveal stuff that may look like a problem without actually being one.

When you rub the leaves between your fingers do they feel smooth or gritty?


Do you see anything on the undersides of the leaves that look like fine particles of dust?

I can't see much from the photos but I find neem oil mixed with some soap or dish soap and water in a spray bottle gets rid of them plus a whole range of plant pests.

From your description, your plant does not have spider mites or any other pest infestation. Spider mites create a mottled appearance on leaves, regardless of the plant species.

The brown spots may be nothing more than normal blemishes. They are not fungal or bacterial in origin and treatment may not be necessary. Never treat a plant without knowing what you are treating.

Please post a photo that shows the entire plant and pot. Close-ups are often very deceptive.

I'd guess root rot.

https://plantophiles.com/plant...

Best article I found with similar photos, please let me know if article links are frowned upon and I'll remove.

It does look like bacterial/fungal to me. Small spots with halo spreading slowly. It would not be possible to determine without lab analysis. Bacterial remedies are all commercial and not available to home growers. A lot of them can be fatal too .. usually they recommend cutting off the leaf and keeping the plant cooler and drier which slows the growth of infection .
I would spray with fungal : it's not going to hurt anything and it might help.
Neem oil slows reproduction rate of insects and bacterial too, but it needs to be used as systemic with a soil drench.
Again the only product that I know of that is available for home use is Azamax.

Oh, as far as root rot: the link provided shows typical root rot for Aroids: large black-yellow spots with halo. Yours is not like that.
Keeping the plant too moist and cool can contribute to some spotting (oedema : necrosis of tissues). What temps to you have night-day? And how moist do you keep it? How much light? Sun? How large the pots? How many leaves relative to pot size?

skylark said:Oh, as far as root rot: the link provided shows typical root rot for Aroids: large black-yellow spots with halo. Yours is not like that.

Agreed, thank you.

Bacterial issues cannot be reliably detected by leaf symptoms. If you have concerns about your plant, please post a photo of the entire plant and its pot and describe your watering routine.