Abstract
This study characterizes the timing of feeding, moving and resting for the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch and a phytoseiid predator, Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot. Feeding is the interaction between T. urticae and plants, and between P. persimilis and T. urticae. Movement plays a key role in locating new food resources. Both activities are closely related to survival and reproduction. We measured the time allocated to these behaviours at four ages of the spider mite (juveniles, adult females immediately after moult and adult females 1 and 3 days after moult) and two ages of the predatory mite (juveniles and adult females). We also examined the effect of previous spider mite-inflicted leaf damage on the spider mite behaviour. Juveniles of both the spider mite and the predatory mite moved around less than their adult counterparts. Newly emerged adult female spider mites spent most of their time moving, stopping only to feed. This represents the teneral phase, during which adult female spider mites are most likely to disperse. With the exception of this age group, spider mites moved more and fed less on previously damaged than on clean leaves. Because of this, the spider mite behaviour was initially more variable on damaged leaves. Phytoseiulus persimilis rested at all stages for a much larger percentage of the time and spent less time feeding than did T. urticae; the predators invariably rested in close proximity to the prey. Compared to adult predators, juveniles spent approximately four times as long handling a prey egg. The predator-prey interaction is dependent upon the local movement of both the predators and prey. These details of individual behaviours in a multispecies environment can provide an understanding of population dynamics.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bernstein, C. 1984. Predator and prey emigration responses in the two-spotted mite and Phytoseiulus persimilis system. Oecologia 61: 134–142.
Bernstein, C., Kacelnik, A. and Krebs, J.R. 1988. Individual decisions and the distribution of predators in a patchy environment. J. Animal Ecol. 57: 1007–1026.
Davis, D.W. 1952. Influence of population density on Tetranychus multistis. J. Econ. Entomol. 45: 652–654.
DeRoos, A.M., McCauley, E. and Wilson, W.G. 1991. Mobility versus density-limited predator-prey dynamics on different spatial scales. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 246: 117–122.
Eveleigh, E.S. and Chant, D.A. 1981a. Experimental studies on acarine predator-prey interactions: effects of predator age and feeding history on prey consumption and the functional response (Acarina: Phytoseiidae). Can. J. Zool. 59: 1387–1406.
Eveleigh, E.S. and Chant, D.A. 1981b. The feeding and searching behavior of two species of phytoseiid mites, Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot and Amblyseius degenerans (Berlese), at different prey densities (Acarina: Phytoseiidae). Can. J. Zool. 59: 1419–1430.
Eveleigh, E.S. and Chant, D.A. 1982a. Experimental studies on acarine predator-prey interactions: the response of predators to prey distribution in a homogeneous area (Acarina: Phytoseiidae). Can. J. Zool. 60: 639–647.
Eveleigh, E.S. and Chant, D.A. 1982b. The searching behaviour of two species of phytoseiid mites, Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot and Amblyseius degenerans (Berlese), in relation to density and distribution of prey in an homogeneous area (Acarina: Phytoseiidae). Can. J. Zool. 60: 648–658.
Haynes, K.F. and Birch, M.C. 1984. Mate locating and courtship behaviours of the artichoke plume moth, Platyptilia carduidactyla (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae). Environ. Entomol. 13: 399–408.
Hislop, R.G. and Prokopy, R.J. 1981. Mite predator responses to prey and predator-emitted stimuli. J. Chem. Ecol. 7: 895–904.
Hussey, N.W. and Parr, W.J. 1963. Dispersal of the glasshouse red spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acarina, Tetranychidae). Entomol. Exp. Appl. 6: 207–214.
Kolmes, S.A., Dennehy, T.J. and Broadwater, E. 1991. Effects of resisdence time and webbing upon the dicofal-avoidance behavior in two-spotted spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae). Exp. Appl. Acarol. 12: 181–193.
Kondo, A. and Takafuji, A. 1985. Resource utilization pattern of two species of tetranychid mites (Acarina: Tetranychidae). Res. Popul. Ecol. 27: 145–157.
Krainacker, D.A. and Carey, J.A. 1990. Ambulatory dispersal and life history response to food deprivation in two-spotted spider mites. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 56: 139–144.
Li, J. and Margolies, D.C. 1993. Effects of mite age, mite density, and host quality on aerial dispersal behaviour in the two-spotted spider mite. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 68: 79–86.
Margolies, D.C. and Kennedy, G.G. 1984. Population response of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, to host phenology in corn and peanut. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 36: 193–196.
Sabelis, M.W. 1981. Biological control of two-spotted spider mites using phytoseiid predators. Part I. Agr. Research Reports, no. 910, Centre for Agricultural, Publishing and Documentation Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Sabelis, M.W. 1985. Predation on spider mites. In World crop pests: spider mites their biology, natural enemies and control, Vol. 1B, W.Helle and M.W.Sabelis (eds), pp. 103–129. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
Sabelis, M.W. 1990. How to analyze prey preference when prey density varies? A new method to discriminate between effects of gut fullness and prey type composition. Oecologia 82: 289–298.
SAS Institute Inc. 1992. SAS/STAT Guide Ver. 6. SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC.
Suski, Z.W. and Naegele, J.A. 1968. Environmental determinants of white light response in the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch. I. Humidity and food reserve depletion. Mass. Agr. Exp. Stn. Bull. 571.
van derGeest, L.P.S. 1985. Aspects of physiology. In World crop pests: spider mites their biology, natural enemies and control., Vol. 1A, W.Helle and M.W.Sabelis (eds), pp. 171–182. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
vanImpe, G. 1984. Influence of population density on the duration of immature development in Tetranychus urticae Koch. In Acarology VI, Vol. 1, D.A.Griffiths and C.A.Bowman (eds.), pp. 617–621. Ellis Horwood Ltd, Chichester, UK.
Werner, E.E. 1992. Individual behaviour and higher-order species interactions. Am. Nat. 140 (Suppl.): 5–32.
Willmer, P. 1982. Hydrothermal determinants of insect activity patterns: the Diptera of water lily leaves. Ecol. Entomol. 7: 221–231.
Zhang, Z.Q. and Sanderson, J.P. 1993. Spatial scale aggregation in three acarine predator species with different degrees of polyphagy. Oecologia 96: 24–31.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bancroft, J.S., Margolies, D.C. Allocating time between feeding, resting and moving by the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae and its predator Phytoseiulus persimilis . Exp Appl Acarol 20, 391–404 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00130552
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00130552