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Spider mite web mediates anti-predator behaviour - PubMed

Spider mite web mediates anti-predator behaviour

Felipe Lemos et al. Exp Appl Acarol. 2010 Sep.

Abstract

Herbivores suffer significant mortality from predation and are therefore subject to natural selection on traits promoting predator avoidance and resistance. They can employ an array of strategies to reduce predation, for example through changes in behaviour, morphology and life history. So far, the anti-predator response studied most intensively in spider mites has been the avoidance of patches with high predation risk. Less attention has been given to the dense web produced by spider mites, which is a complex structure of silken threads that is thought to hinder predators. Here, we investigate the effects of the web produced by the red spider mite, Tetranychus evansi Baker & Pritchard, on its interactions with the predatory mite, Phytoseiulus longipes Evans. We tested whether female spider mites recognize predator cues and whether these can induce the spider mites to produce denser web. We found that the prey did not produce denser web in response to such cues, but laid more eggs suspended in the web, away from the leaf surface. These suspended eggs suffered less from predation by P. longipes than eggs that were laid on the leaf surface under the web. Thus, by altering their oviposition behaviour in response to predator cues, females of T. evansi protect their offspring.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1

Mean oviposition rates of single Tetranychus evansi females during 2 days on leaf discs that were either clean or contained cues of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus longipes. White parts of the bars show the number of eggs on the leaf surface, grey parts show the eggs that were suspended in the web. Error bars show the SEM of the mean total number of eggs (on the leaf surface plus in the web)

Fig. 2
Fig. 2

Mean oviposition rates of groups of 15 adult females of Tetranychus evansi either on clean tomato leaf discs or on discs with cues of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus longipes. White parts of the bars show the number of eggs on the leaf surface, grey parts show the eggs that were suspended in the web. Error bars show the SEM of the mean total number of eggs (on the leaf surface plus in the web). Different letters above the vertical bars denote a significant difference in total numbers of eggs between the treatments (P < 0.05)

Fig. 3
Fig. 3

Mean predation rate by Phytoseiulus longipes on eggs of the spider mite Tetranychus evansi in the presence of predator cues and web produced by the spider mite or in the absence of predator cues (clean) with or without web. White bars show predation of eggs from the leaf surface, grey bars predation of eggs that were suspended in the web. Error bars indicate standard errors of the mean total predation (in web plus on leaf)

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