Testing for collective choices in the two-spotted spider mite

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Animal Behavior
• Arthropod Biology

Background:

• Silk serves as a crucial medium for collective behavior in various spinning arthropods.
• The two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) is a subsocial mite that constructs communal silk webs for shelter.
• Spider mite silk exhibits attractive and arresting properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of silk trails in mediating collective path choices in Tetranychus urticae.
• To assess whether silk trails can induce systematic collective decisions during mite migration.
• To parameterize a theoretical model of trail following for T. urticae.

Main Methods:

• Experimental setup offering two identical paths to migrating groups of spider mites.
• Observation and analysis of mite behavior in response to silk trails.
• Parameterization of a theoretical trail following model using experimental and literature data.

Main Results:

• The presence of silk trails affects mite movement but does not reliably lead to a collective choice of path.
• Even with a substantial number of mites (200) passing, systematic collective path selection was not observed under experimental conditions.
• Trail following potential of T. urticae was quantified through model parameterization.

Conclusions:

• Silk trails in T. urticae influence individual movement but are insufficient to drive systematic collective path selection.
• A general dispersal behavior scenario for T. urticae is proposed based on the findings and existing literature.
• Further research may explore other factors influencing collective decision-making in spider mite dispersal.