Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Pearl bodies of Cayratia japonica (Thunb.) Gagnep. (Vitaceae) as alternative food for a predatory mite Euseius sojaensis (Ehara) (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Ecological Research

Abstract

On the young leaves, shoots, and buds of Cayratia japonica (Thunb.) Gagnep. (Vitaceae), we observed nutritious bodies called pearl bodies and hypothesized that they are utilized by generalist predators as alternative foods. Some ambulate organisms consume pearl bodies in the wild and the predatory mite Euseius sojaensis (Ehara) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) was considered as a primary candidate. Pearl bodies promoted E. sojaensis settlement on C. japonica leaves and E. sojaensis could prey on the phytophagous mite Tetranychus kanzawai Kishida (Acari: Tetranychidae) when the predators settle on a leaf before the prey. In addition, the presence of pearl bodies did not reduce predation of E. sojaensis on T. kanzawai. This was seemingly because food quality of T. kanzawai was higher than pearl bodies. These results implied that pearl bodies on C. japonica leaves are utilized by E. sojaensis as alternative foods.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amano H (1996) Natural enemies. In: Ehara S, Shinkaji N (eds) Principles of plant acarology (in Japanese). Zenkoku Noson Kyoiku Kyokai, Tokyo, 165 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentley BL (1977) Extrafloral nectarines and protection by pugnacious bodyguards. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 8:407–427

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coley PD (1983) Herbivory and defensive characteristics of tree species in a lowland tropical forest. Ecol Monogr 53:209–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coley PD, Bryant JP, Chapin FS III (1985) Resource availability and plant antiherbivore defense. Science 230:895–899

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Feeny P (1976) Plant apparency and chemical defense. In: Wallace JW, Mansell RL (eds) Biochemical interaction between plants and insects. Plenum, New York, pp 1–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiala B, Linsenmair KE (1995) Distribution and abundance of plants with extrafloral nectarines in the woody flora of a lowland primary forest in Malaysia. Biodiv Cons 4:165–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiala B, Maschwitz U (1992) Food bodies and their significance for obligate ant-associaation in the tree genus Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae). Bot J Linn Soc 110:61–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiala B, Maschwitz U, Pong TY, Helbig AJ (1989) Studies of a South East Asian ant–plant association: protection of Macaranga trees by Crematogaster borneensis. Oecologia (Berl) 79:463–470

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fritz RS, Simms EL (1992) Plant resistance to herbivores and pathogens. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Furuichi H, Oku K, Yano S, Takafuji A, Osakabe Mh (2005) Why does the predatory mite Neoseiulus womersleyi Schicha (Acari: Phytoseiidae) prefer spider mite eggs to adults? Appl Entomol Zool 40:675–678

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kasai A, Yano S, Takafuji A (2002) Density of the eriphyid mites inhabiting the domatia of Cinnamomun camphora Linn. affects the density of the predatory mite, Amblyseius sojaensis Ehara (Acari: Phytoseiidae), not inhabiting the domatia. Appl Entomol Zool 37:617–619

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kasai A, Yano S, Takafuji A (2005) Prey-predator mutualism in a tritrophic system on a camphor tree. Ecol Res 20:163–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kitamura S, Murata G (1961) Colored illustrations of herbaceous plants of Japan Vol. II (Choripetalae). Revised edition. 1994 (in Japanese). Hoikusha Publishing, Osaka, 71 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Kondo A, Takafuji A (1985) Resource utilization pattern of two species of tetranychid mites (Acarina: Tetranychidae). Res Popul Ecol 27:145–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levin DA (1973) The role of trichomes in plant defense. Q Rev Biol 48:3–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McMurtry JA, Croft BA (1997) Life-styles of phytoseiid mites and their roles in biological control. Ann Rev Entomol 42:291–321

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meyen FJF (1837) Über die Sekretionsorgane der Pflanzen. Königl Societät der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Berlin

  • Momiyama T (1982) Vitaceae. In: Satake Y, Ohwi J, Kitamura S, Watari S, Tominari T (eds) Wild flowers of Japan. Herbaceous plants (including dwarf subshrubs). 1982 (in Japanese). Heibonsha Publishers, Tokyo, 238 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Morimoto K, Furuichi H, Yano S, Osakabe MH (2006) Web-mediated interspecific competition among spider mites. J Econ Entomol 99:678–684

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • O’Dowd DJ (1980) Pearl bodies of a neotropical tree, Ochroma pyramidale: ecological implications. Am J Bot 67:543–549

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Dowd DJ (1982) Pearl bodies as ant food: an ecological role for some leaf emergences of tropical plants. Biotropica 14:40–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oku K, Yano S (2007) Spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) deform their host plant leaves: An investigation from the viewpoint of predator avoidance. Ann Entomol Soc Am 100:69–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osakabe Mh (1988) Relationships between food substances and developmental success in Amblyseius sojaensis Ehara (Acarina: Phytoseiidae). Appl Entomol Zool 23:45–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Osakabe Mh, Inoue K, Ashihara W (1986) Feeding, reproduction and development of Amblyseius sojaensis Ehara (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) on two species of spider mites and on tea pollen. Appl Entomol Zool 21:322–327

    Google Scholar 

  • Osakabe Mh, Inoue K, Ashihara W (1987) Effect of Amblyseius sojaensis Ehara (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) as a predator of Panonychus citri (McGrefor) and Tetranychus kanzawai Kishida (Acarina: Tetranychidae). Appl Entomol Zool 22:594–599

    Google Scholar 

  • Penzig O (1893) Über die Perldrüsen des Weinstockes und anderer Pflanzen. In: Penzig O (ed) Atti del congresso botanico internazionale di Genova 1892. Tip. Del R. Instituto Sordo-multi, Genova, pp 237–245

    Google Scholar 

  • Rhoades DF, Cates RG (1976) Toward a general theory of plant antiherbivore chemistry. Rec Adv Phytochem 10:168–213

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rickson FR (1976) Anatomical development of the leaf trichilium and Mullerian bodies of Cecropia peltata L. Am J Bot 63:1266–1271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rickson FR (1980) Developmental anatomy and ultrastructure of the ant food bodies (Beccarian bodies) of Macaranga triloba and M. hypoleuca (Euphorbiaceae). Am J Bot 67:285–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ridley HN (1910) Symbiosis of ants and plants. Ann Bot 24:457–483

    Google Scholar 

  • Risch S, McClure M, Vandemeer J, Waltz S (1977) Mutualism between three species of tropical Piper (Piperaceae) and their ant inhabitants. Am Midl Nat 98:433–443

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saito Y (1983) The concept of “life types” in Tetranychidae. An attempt to classify the spinning behavior of Tetranychinae. Acarologia 24:377–391

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute Inc. (1998) SAS/STAT user’s guide, release 6.03 edition. SAS Institute, Cary

  • Shimane Agricultural Experiment Station (1996) Shoot growth prediction and crop production of grape ‘Delaware’ vines. http://www2.pref.shimane.jp/nousi/home/hyp_cul/budou/6_2.html. Accessed 1-10-2007

  • Shibao M, Ehara S, Hosomi A, Tanaka H (2004) Seasonal fluctuation in population density of phytoseiid mites and the yellow tea thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on grape, and predation of the thrips by Euseius sojaensis (Ehara) (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Appl Entomol Zool 39:727–730

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takafuji A, Morishita M (2001) Overwintering ecology of two species of spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) on different host plants. Appl Entomol Zool 36:169–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilman D (1978) Cherries, ants, and tent caterpillars: timing of nectar production in relation to susceptibility of caterpillar to ant predation. Ecology 59:686–692

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. A. Kasai for identification of E. sojaensis and Mr. T. Kawasaki for valuable suggestions. Dr. M. Fitz-Earle improved the manuscript. This study was partly supported by a funding from the development of new biorational techniques for sustainable agriculture and a Grant-in-Aid for the 21st Century COE program of Innovative Food and Environmental Studies Pioneered by Entomomimetic Sciences in Kyoto University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Ecological Information, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Mayuko Ozawa & Shuichi Yano

Authors
  1. Mayuko Ozawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shuichi Yano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shuichi Yano.

About this article

Cite this article

Ozawa, M., Yano, S. Pearl bodies of Cayratia japonica (Thunb.) Gagnep. (Vitaceae) as alternative food for a predatory mite Euseius sojaensis (Ehara) (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Ecol Res 24, 257–262 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-008-0501-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-008-0501-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation