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Predator experience changes spider mites' habitat choice even without current threat.
1Laboratory of Ecological Information, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. murase.aoi.45v@kyoto-u.ac.jp.
Scientific Reports
|June 1, 2018
Summary
Previous predator exposure influences spider mite behavior, increasing avoidance of low-quality plants and promoting dispersal from poor resources. This predator experience impacts prey habitat choices even without current threats.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Behavioral Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Previous predator exposure can alter prey behavior without immediate threat.
- Predator-prey interactions shape prey's resource selection and spatial distribution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if prior predator experience enhances prey avoidance of lower-quality resources.
- To determine the effect of predator experience on prey dispersal behavior.
- To understand how predator-prey dynamics influence habitat choice in spider mites.
Main Methods:
- Utilized herbivorous spider mites (Tetranychus kanzawai) and predatory mites (Neoseiulus womersleyi).
- Employed Phaseolus vulgaris (high-quality) and Hydrangea macrophylla (low-quality) host plants.
- Assessed female mite preference for plants and dispersal distances after predator exposure treatments.
Main Results:
- Predator-experienced spider mites showed significantly greater avoidance of the low-quality plant (H. macrophylla).
- Spider mites transferred to H. macrophylla exhibited longer dispersal distances compared to those on P. vulgaris.
- This effect was more pronounced in mites with prior predator experience.
Conclusions:
- Predator experience can lead to altered resource avoidance and increased dispersal in prey.
- Prey habitat choices are influenced by past predator encounters, impacting spatial distribution.
- Reveals underappreciated evolutionary dynamics between predators and prey habitat selection.