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Intraguild predation between phytoseiid mite species might not be so common

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Abstract

It is widely acknowledged that intraguild predation (IGP) occurs frequently between species of phytoseiid mites. However, in the presence of a shared resource many species of phytoseiid mites considerably reduce, or even cease, predation on each other. That being the case, IGP would then be minimal, or non-existent, and its theoretical effects on communities negligible. The aim of this work was two-fold. On the one hand, we aimed at determining the occurrence of IGP between two species of phytoseiid mites that inhabit avocado agro-ecosystems (Euseius stipulatus and E. scutalis) while considering the influence of abiotic conditions. On the other hand, we aimed at evaluating the occurrence of IGP between species of phytoseiid mites through a literature search of studies to determine whether methodologies and results in these papers supported the extended idea of IGP being widespread in the Phytoseiidae family. Our results suggested that in the presence of the shared resource predation on the IG-prey was negligible and both species seem to forage preferentially on pollen. Therefore, the interaction that most likely drives the dynamics of these two species in the field is exploitative resource competition. The literature search revealed that caution should be taken when assuming that IGP between phytoseiid mites is widespread, because only few works used experimental set ups with the adequate array of treatments allowing to assess whether IG-predators fed or not on both the IG-prey and the shared resource.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AGL2011-30538-C03-03). C.G. was recipient of a grant from the Andalusian Government (Junta de Andalucía). The animals used for the research of this publication are not test animals in the legal sense.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea “La Mayora”, Universidad de Málaga- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Estación Experimental La Mayora, 29750, Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, Spain

    C. Guzmán, R. M. Sahún & M. Montserrat

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  1. C. Guzmán
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  2. R. M. Sahún
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  3. M. Montserrat
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Correspondence to M. Montserrat.

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Guzmán, C., Sahún, R.M. & Montserrat, M. Intraguild predation between phytoseiid mite species might not be so common. Exp Appl Acarol 68, 441–453 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-015-9997-x

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