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Application of Two-spotted Spider Mite Tetranychus urticae for Plant-pest Interaction Studies
Published on: July 4, 2014
Spider mite web mediates anti-predator behaviour
Felipe Lemos1, Renato Almeida Sarmento, Angelo Pallini
1Department of Animal Biology, Section Entomology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
Experimental & Applied Acarology
|March 2, 2010
Summary
Red spider mites (Tetranychus evansi) do not build denser webs when predators are near. Instead, females lay eggs in webs, protecting them from predation by Phytoseiulus longipes.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Zoology
- Entomology
Background:
- Herbivores face high mortality from predation, driving natural selection for anti-predator strategies.
- Spider mites utilize various defenses, including patch avoidance and web construction.
- The anti-predator role of spider mite webs is less understood than behavioral avoidance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of predator cues on web density in Tetranychus evansi.
- To determine if T. evansi alters oviposition behavior in response to predator cues.
- To assess the impact of altered oviposition on offspring survival from predation.
Main Methods:
- Exposing female Tetranychus evansi to predator cues (Phytoseiulus longipes).
- Measuring web density and egg-laying locations (on leaf surface vs. suspended in web).
- Comparing predation rates on eggs laid in different locations.
Main Results:
- T. evansi females did not increase web density in response to predator cues.
- Females laid significantly more eggs suspended within the web structure.
- Eggs suspended in the web experienced lower predation by P. longipes compared to those on the leaf surface.
Conclusions:
- T. evansi alters oviposition behavior, not web density, as an anti-predator strategy.
- Suspending eggs within the web effectively reduces offspring mortality from predation.
- This behavioral plasticity in oviposition is a key mechanism for offspring protection.
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