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Expanding the ‘enemy-free space’ for oribatid mites: evidence for chemical defense of juvenile Archegozetes longisetosus against the rove beetle Stenus juno

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Abstract

Adult oribatid mites are thought to live functionally in ‘enemy-free space’ due to numerous morphological and chemical defensive strategies. Most juvenile oribatid mites, however, lack hardened cuticles and are thus thought to be under stronger predation pressure. On the other hand, the majority of oribatids have exocrine oil glands in all developmental stages, possibly rendering chemical defense the crucial survival strategy in juvenile Oribatida. We manipulated tritonymphs of the model oribatid mite Archegozetes longisetosus to completely discharge their oil glands and offered these chemically disarmed specimens to the polyphagous rove beetle Stenus juno. Disarmed specimens were easily consumed. By contrast, specimens with filled oil glands were significantly protected, being rejected by the beetles. This is the first direct evidence that oil gland secretions provide soft-bodied juvenile oribatids with chemical protection against large arthropod predators.

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Acknowledgments

MH is funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG-Forschungsstipendium HE4593/3-1). We are deeply indebted to Lars Koerner for providing Stenus specimens and to Roy Norton for helpful comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Zoology, Karl-Franzens University, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria

    Michael Heethoff & Günther Raspotnig

  2. Institute for Evolution and Ecology, University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28E, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Michael Heethoff

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  1. Michael Heethoff
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  2. Günther Raspotnig
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Correspondence to Michael Heethoff.

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Heethoff, M., Raspotnig, G. Expanding the ‘enemy-free space’ for oribatid mites: evidence for chemical defense of juvenile Archegozetes longisetosus against the rove beetle Stenus juno . Exp Appl Acarol 56, 93–97 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-011-9501-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-011-9501-1

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