Predation stress experienced as immature mites extends their lifespan

Abstract

The early-life experience is important in modulating the late-life performance of individuals. It has been predicted that there were trade-offs between early-life fitness and late-life success. Most of the studies on senescence have focused on the trade-offs between the reproduction and lifespan, and the influences of diet, mating, and other factors. Because the negative, non-consumptive effects of predators could also modulate the behaviour and underlying mechanisms of the prey, this study aimed to examine the different effects of predator-induced stress experienced in the early life compared with later life of the prey. The prey (Tyrophagus putrescentiae) was exposed to predation stress from the predator (Neoseiulus cucumeris) during different periods of its life (immature, oviposition period, and post-oviposition period). The results showed that the predation stress experienced during immature stages delayed development by 7.3% and prolonged lifespan by 9.7%, while predation stress experienced in the adult stage (both oviposition and post-oviposition periods) decreased lifespans of T. putrescentiae (by 24.8% and 28.7%, respectively). Predation stress experienced during immature stages also reduced female fecundity by 7.3%, whereas that experienced during the oviposition period reduced fecundity of the prey by 50.7%. This study demonstrated for the first time lifespan extension by exposure to predation stress when young and highlighted the importance of early-life experience to aging and lifespan.

Prey life stages modulate effects of predation stress on prey lifespan, development, and reproduction in mites

“…Another of our studies (Wei et al. , 2022 in preparation) showed that predation stress given during the entire immature period (about 12–16 d) increased the lifespan of both male and female by 9.7% on average, whereas prey exposure to predation stress during their oviposition and post‐oviposition periods reduced their lifespans by 24.8% and 28.7%, respectively. The patterns in survival rates among different treatments in our studies showed broadly similar trends in data on lifespan.…”

“…To test the hypothesis of Wei and Zhang's (2022) that milder levels of predation stress might have no effect on prey lifespan or even increase it, Wei et al. (2022) reduced the duration of exposure to predation stress and showed that predation stress applied only during immature development could increase lifespan (by 9.7%), although, it is not clear if the benefits of this “milder” predation stress resulted from the short duration of exposure or from the early life exposure. This study therefore further reduced the duration of exposure to predation pressure during the early part of prey life history and demonstrated that only the very early stages (larva and protonymph) responded positively to predation stress and therefore extended lifespan.…”

“…However, one later experiment of Wei et al. (2022) showed that predation stress created during the immature stage showed totally opposite results from predation stress during oviposition and post‐oviposition periods. The experiment indicated that exposure to a milder level of predation stress in the form of short‐term exposure during immature stages could prolong lifespan, which confirmed the hypothesis of Wei and Zhang (2022).…”

The Impact of Predation Risks on the Development and Fecundity of the Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel

“…Furthermore, we discovered that the impact of predation risk on prey B. dorsalis development time was gender-specific; female B. dorsalis treated with isolated predator had a shorter development time than those in the control treatment, while this was not observed in males. This disparity was also found in the phytophagous mite (Tyrophagus putrescentiae), where regardless of being subjected to predator stress throughout the life cycle or at different life stages, the lifespan of males was significantly longer than that of females [22]. The variation in development time responses between females and males could be attributed to the fact that females bear the responsibility for fecundity and need to allocate most of their resources to reproduction, leaving less for development under predation risks [48,50,51].…”

“…Long-term exposure to predation threat, such as that of the six-spotted ladybug (Menochilus sexmaculatus), significantly reduces the lifespan of adult cotton aphids (Aphis gossypii) [21]. In the case of the herbivorous mite (Tyrophagus putrescentiae), individuals in control conditions exhibit a significantly longer lifespan than those subjected to predation risk, regardless of whether the stress occurs throughout their entire life cycle or only at specific stages [22]. The duration of predation risks also affects lifespan; adult Drosophila melanogaster experiences a significantly shorter lifespan under continuous predation risk from ladybugs (Propylea japonica) compared to those facing intermittent risk [23].…”