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Weerawansha N, Wang Q, He XZ. Conspecific cues mediate habitat selection and reproductive performance in a haplodiploid spider mite. Curr Zool 2024; 70:795-802. [PMID: 39678823 PMCID: PMC11634675 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoae013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 12/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Selection of a suitable habitat by animals before settlement is critical for their survival and reproduction. In silk-spinning arthropods like spider mites, denser webs offer protection from predation and serve as a dispersal mode. Settling in habitats with the presence of conspecifics and silk webs can benefit the habitat-searching females. Silk and conspecifics usually coexist, but their distinct effects on female colonization have received little attention. In this study, we used a haplodiploid spider mite, Tetranychus ludeni Zacher (Acari: Tetranychidae), to examine the impact of conspecific cues, including cues from ovipositing conspecifics and silk, on habitat selection and subsequent reproductive performance of females. Results show that females significantly preferred habitats with cues from neighboring conspecifics and silk and neighboring conspecifics induced additive effect to that of silk on habitat selection. Conspecific cues did not boost female reproduction but facilitated females laying larger eggs that were more likely to be fertilized and to develop into daughters. When given a choice between silk-covered and clean habitats, females preferred silk-covered habitats, laid a similar number of eggs with similar size, but produced more daughters, suggesting that T. ludeni females can adjust the size threshold for fertilization in response to the current social environment. Knowledge of this study improves our understanding of spider mite habitat selection and post-settlement reproductive performance behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuwan Weerawansha
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, 4472, New Zealand
- Faculty of Animal Science and Export Agriculture, Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, Passara Road, Badulla 90000, Sri Lanka
| | - Qiao Wang
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, 4472, New Zealand
| | - Xiong Zhao He
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, 4472, New Zealand
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Weerawansha N, Wang Q, He XZ. Reproductive plasticity in response to the changing cluster size during the breeding period: a case study in a spider mite. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2023; 91:237-250. [PMID: 37651032 PMCID: PMC10562284 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00834-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Animals living in clusters should adjust their reproductive strategies to adapt to the social environment. Theories predict that the benefits of cluster living would outweigh the costs of competition. Yet, it is largely unknown how animals optimize their reproductive fitness in response to the changing social environment during their breeding period. We used Tetranychus ludeni Zacher, a haplodiploid spider mite, to investigate how the ovipositing females modified their life-history traits in response to the change of cluster size (i.e., aggregation and dispersal) with a consistent population density (1 ♀/cm2). We demonstrate that (1) after females were shifted from a large cluster (16 ♀♀) to small ones (1 ♀, 5 and 10 ♀♀), they laid fewer and larger eggs with a higher female-biased sex ratio; (2) after females were shifted from small clusters to a large one, they laid fewer and smaller eggs, also with a higher female-biased sex ratio, and (3) increasing egg size significantly increased offspring sex ratio (% daughters), but did not increase immature survival. The results suggest that (1) females fertilize more larger eggs laid in a small population but lower the fertilization threshold and fertilize smaller eggs in a larger population, and (2) the reproductive adjustments in terms of egg number and size may contribute more to minimize the mate competition among sons but not to increase the number of inhabitants in the next generation. The current study provides evidence that spider mites can manipulate their reproductive output and adjust offspring sex ratio in response to dynamic social environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuwan Weerawansha
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- Faculty of Animal Science and Export Agriculture, Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, Passara Road, Badulla, 90000, Sri Lanka
| | - Qiao Wang
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Xiong Zhao He
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
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Weerawansha N, Wang Q, He XZ. A haplodiploid mite adjusts fecundity and sex ratio in response to density changes during the reproductive period. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2022; 88:277-288. [PMID: 36242724 PMCID: PMC9732065 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-022-00749-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Population density is one of the main socio-environmental factors that have critical impacts on reproduction of animals. Consequently, they need to adjust their reproductive strategies in response to changes of local population density. In this study we used a haplodiploid spider mite, Tetranychus ludeni Zacher (Acari: Tetranychidae), to test how population density dynamics during the reproductive period altered female reproductive performance. We demonstrate that females produced fewer eggs with a significantly higher female-biased sex ratio in dense populations. Reducing fecundity and increasing daughter production in a dense environment could be an advantageous strategy to minimise the intensity of local food competition. However, females also reduced their fecundity after arrival in a new site of larger area from a dense population, which may be associated with higher web production costs because females need to produce more webs to cover the larger area. There was no trade-off between egg number and size, and egg size had little impact on reproductive fitness. Therefore, T. ludeni females could adapt to the shift of population density during their reproductive period by manipulating the fecundity and offspring sex ratio but not the egg size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuwan Weerawansha
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- Faculty of Animal Science and Export Agriculture, Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, Passara Road, Badulla, 90000, Sri Lanka
| | - Qiao Wang
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Xiong Zhao He
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
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Menezes J, Rangel E, Moura B. Aggregation as an antipredator strategy in the rock-paper-scissors model. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Cruz-Esteban S, Garay-Serrano E, Rojas JC. Effect of Visual Cues and a Fermentation-Based Attractant Blend on Trap Catch of Two Invasive Drosophila Flies in Berry Crops in Mexico. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 114:152-160. [PMID: 33558902 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toaa296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) and Zaprionus indianus (Gupta) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) are invasive pests of economic importance worldwide. This study was undertaken as a first step to investigate the interaction between visual and chemical cues on the captures of D. suzukii and Z. indianus under field conditions. Specifically, we evaluated the effect of color cardboards and their combinations on the capture of these drosophilids by attractant-baited multihole traps in blackberry and blueberry crops. Color had a significant effect on the captures of D. suzukii and Z. indianus by attractant-baited traps in both crops. Overall, attractant-baited traps with yellow and yellow + green cards captured the highest number of flies compared to attractant-baited traps using cards of other colors or without cards. Multihole traps without attractant and color cardboards caught very few flies of both species. In general, more females than male D. suzukii were captured, but no sexual differences were found in the captures of Z. indianus. The results obtained will be useful for the development of a monitoring or mass trapping system for the management of D. suzukii and Z. indianuspopulations in Mexico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Cruz-Esteban
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Centro Regional del Bajío, Red de Diversidad Biológica del Occidente Mexicano, Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico
- CONACYT. Avenida Insurgentes Sur 1582, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Edith Garay-Serrano
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Centro Regional del Bajío, Red de Diversidad Biológica del Occidente Mexicano, Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico
- CONACYT. Avenida Insurgentes Sur 1582, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Julio C Rojas
- Grupo de Ecología de Artropodos y Manejo de Plagas, Departamento de Agricultura, Sociedad y Ambiente, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
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Lozano-Pérez AA, Pagán A, Zhurov V, Hudson SD, Hutter JL, Pruneri V, Pérez-Moreno I, Grbic' V, Cenis JL, Grbic' M, Aznar-Cervantes S. The silk of gorse spider mite Tetranychus lintearius represents a novel natural source of nanoparticles and biomaterials. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18471. [PMID: 33116211 PMCID: PMC7595037 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74766-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Spider mites constitute an assemblage of well-known pests in agriculture, but are less known for their ability to spin silk of nanoscale diameters and high Young's moduli. Here, we characterize silk of the gorse spider mite Tetranychus lintearius, which produces copious amounts of silk with nano-dimensions. We determined biophysical characteristics of the silk fibres and manufactured nanoparticles and biofilm derived from native silk. We determined silk structure using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and characterized silk nanoparticles using field emission scanning electron microscopy. Comparative studies using T. lintearius and silkworm silk nanoparticles and biofilm demonstrated that spider mite silk supports mammalian cell growth in vitro and that fluorescently labelled nanoparticles can enter cell cytoplasm. The potential for cytocompatibility demonstrated by this study, together with the prospect of recombinant silk production, opens a new avenue for biomedical application of this little-known silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Abel Lozano-Pérez
- Departmento de Biotecnología, Genómica y Mejora Vegetal, IMIDA, C/Mayor, s/n, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Ana Pagán
- Departmento de Biotecnología, Genómica y Mejora Vegetal, IMIDA, C/Mayor, s/n, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain
| | - Vladimir Zhurov
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Stephen D Hudson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Jeffrey L Hutter
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Valerio Pruneri
- ICFO-Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860, Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignacio Pérez-Moreno
- Department of Agriculture and Food, University of La Rioja, C/Madre de Dios, 53, 26006, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - Vojislava Grbic'
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - José Luis Cenis
- Departmento de Biotecnología, Genómica y Mejora Vegetal, IMIDA, C/Mayor, s/n, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain
| | - Miodrag Grbic'
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada.
- Department of Agriculture and Food, University of La Rioja, C/Madre de Dios, 53, 26006, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain.
- Department of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
| | - Salvador Aznar-Cervantes
- Departmento de Biotecnología, Genómica y Mejora Vegetal, IMIDA, C/Mayor, s/n, 30150, La Alberca, Murcia, Spain
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Sato Y, Alba JM. Reproductive interference and sensitivity to female pheromones in males and females of two herbivorous mite species. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2020; 81:59-74. [PMID: 32307618 PMCID: PMC7203586 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00492-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Competitive interaction between sister species can be affected by reproductive interference (RI) depending on the ability of males to discriminate conspecific from heterospecific mates. We study such interactions in Tetranychus evansi and T. urticae. These spider mites co-occur on solanaceous plants in Southern Europe, and cause important yield losses in tomato crops. Previous studies using Spanish populations found that T. evansi outcompetes T. urticae, and that this is due to unidirectional RI of T. evansi males with T. urticae females. The unidirectional RI is attributed to differences in male mate preference for conspecific females between the two species. Also, differences in the propensity of interspecific web sharing in females plays a role. To investigate proximate mechanisms of this RI, here we study the role of female pheromones on male mate preference and female web sharing. We extracted pheromones from females of the two species, and investigated if males and females were arrested by the pheromone extractions in various concentrations. We observed that T. urticae males were more sensitive to the pheromone extractions and able to discriminate conspecific from heterospecific ones. Tetranychus evansi males, on the other hand, were less sensitive. Females from both species were arrested by conspecific pheromone extraction in lower concentrations. In conclusion, heterospecific mating by T. evansi males, which results in RI, can be explained by their lack of discrimination between female pheromones of the two species. Differences in the propensity of interspecific web sharing in females might not be explained by the pheromones that we investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukie Sato
- Mountain Science Center, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan.
- Evolutionary and Population Biology-IBED, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Juan M Alba
- Evolutionary and Population Biology-IBED, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Dittmann L, Schausberger P. Adaptive aggregation by spider mites under predation risk. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10609. [PMID: 28878255 PMCID: PMC5587541 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10819-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Grouping together is a commonly observed anti-predator strategy. Possible anti-predator benefits of aggregation include the encounter/avoidance effect for visually hunting predators and the dilution effect, together dubbed attack abatement. Possible costs opposing the dilution effect are easier detection of aggregated than scattered individuals. The benefits of attack abatement, and opposing costs after group detection, are poorly understood for chemosensory predator-prey interactions. We tackled this issue by assessing the aggregation behavior of spider mites Tetranychus urticae under predation risk emanating from predatory mites Phytoseiulus persimilis. We examined whether adult spider mite females aggregate more tightly when perceiving predator cues (traces left and eggs), representing graded risk levels, and whether grouping enhances survival in physical predator presence. The spider mites aggregated more tightly and were more active in presence than absence of predator cues. Grouped spider mites were less likely and later detected and attacked than scattered spider mites. Moreover, encounter and attack of one group member did not increase the risk of other members to be attacked, as compared to scattered spider mites. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first rigorous documentation of the adaptive benefit of tightened prey aggregation towards a purely chemosensorily hunting predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Dittmann
- Group of Arthropod Ecology and Behavior, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Schausberger
- Group of Arthropod Ecology and Behavior, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180, Vienna, Austria. .,Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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Sato Y, Alba JM, Egas M, Sabelis MW. The role of web sharing, species recognition and host-plant defence in interspecific competition between two herbivorous mite species. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2016; 70:261-274. [PMID: 27506908 PMCID: PMC5061842 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-016-0079-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
When competing with indigenous species, invasive species face a problem, because they typically start with a few colonizers. Evidently, some species succeeded, begging an answer to the question how they invade. Here, we investigate how the invasive spider mite Tetranychus evansi interacts with the indigenous species T. urticae when sharing the solanaceous host plant tomato: do they choose to live together or to avoid each other's colonies? Both species spin protective, silken webs on the leaf surfaces, under which they live in groups of con- and possibly heterospecifics. In Spain, T. evansi invaded the non-crop field where native Tetranychus species including T. urticae dominated. Moreover, T. evansi outcompetes T. urticae when released together on a tomato plant. However, molecular plant studies suggest that T. urticae benefits from the local down-regulation of tomato plant defences by T. evansi, whereas T. evansi suffers from the induction of these defences by T. urticae. Therefore, we hypothesize that T. evansi avoids leaves infested with T. urticae whereas T. urticae prefers leaves infested by T. evansi. Using wild-type tomato and a mutant lacking jasmonate-mediated anti-herbivore defences, we tested the hypothesis and found that T. evansi avoided sharing webs with T. urticae in favour of a web with conspecifics, whereas T. urticae more frequently chose to share webs with T. evansi than with conspecifics. Also, T. evansi shows higher aggregation on a tomato plant than T. urticae, irrespective of whether the mites occur on the plant together or not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukie Sato
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- Sugadaira Montane Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Ueda, Nagano, 386-2204, Japan.
| | - Juan M Alba
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Martijn Egas
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Maurice W Sabelis
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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