The evolution of overexploitation and mutualism in plant–herbivore–predator interactions and its impact on population dynamics

Sabelis, Maurice W.; Baalen, Minus van; Bruin, Jan; Egas, Martijn; Jansen, Vincent A. A.; Janssen, Arne; Pels, Bas

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511542077.020

Cited by 14 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…The location of plants by the predatory mites is strongly influenced by the presence of a previous infestation of TSSM, as demonstrated by our results and those of others (Pallini et al 1997;Sabelis et al 1998;Janssen 1999). This suggests that initial TSSM infestations as low as 100 mites per plant, as in our experiment, can be perceived by P. macropilis.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…During this searching process many predators can use volatiles that are produced by plants in response to herbivore injury (Dicke and Sabelis 1988;Dicke 1994;Turlings et al 1990). It is known that TSSMinfested plants, such as cucumber, beans and many more, produce volatiles induced by herbivory (Pallini et al 1997;Sabelis et al 1998;Janssen 1999) and that the predatory mite P. persimilis use these volatiles for prey finding (Janssen 1999). However, it is not known yet whether volatiles produced by TSSM-infested strawberry plants can be used by P. macropilis for finding prey patches.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus macropilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as a biological control agent of the two-spotted spider mite on strawberry plants under greenhouse conditions

et al. 2008

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The predatory mite Phytoseiulus macropilis is a potential biological control agent of the two-spotted spider mite (TSSM) Tetranychus urticae on strawberry plants. Its ability to control TSSM was recently assessed under laboratory conditions, but its ability to locate and control TSSM under greenhouse conditions has not been tested so far. We evaluated whether P. macropilis is able to control TSSM on strawberry plants and to locate strawberry plants infested with TSSM under greenhouse conditions. Additionally, we tested, in an olfactometer, whether odours play a role in prey-finding by P. macropilis. The predatory mite P. macropilis required about 20 days to achive reduction of the TSSM population on strawberry plants initially infested with 100 TSSM females per plant. TSSM-infested plants attract an average of 27.5 ± 1.0% of the predators recaptured per plant and uninfested plants attracted only 5.8 ± 1.0% per plant. The predatory mites were able to suppress TSSM populations on a single strawberry plant and were able to use odours from TSSM-infested strawberry plants to locate prey in both olfactometer and arena experiments. Hence, it is concluded that P. macropilis can locate and reduce TSSM population on strawberry plants under greenhouse conditions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus macropilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as a biological control agent of the two-spotted spider mite on strawberry plants under greenhouse conditions

et al. 2008

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“…Nevertheless, for a speciWed set of genetic and environmental conditions, mite-days may provide a quantitative assessment of P. persimilis response to T. urticae-infested plant volatiles within a given range of T. urticae density and duration of infestation. Successful colonization of new spider mite patches by the predator is important for the persistence of the predator population and for biological control (Sabelis et al 1999;Walde and Nachman 1999). Because herbivore-induced plant volatiles increase the probability of the predator Wnding a rich prey patch, it can directly increase predator foraging and fecundity, thus contributing to predator population Wtness.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phytoseiulus persimilis response to herbivore-induced plant volatiles as a function of mite-days

et al. 2007

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The predatory mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae), uses plant volatiles (i.e., airborne chemicals) triggered by feeding of their herbivorous prey, Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae), to help locate prey patches. The olfactory response of P. persimilis to prey-infested plants varies in direct relation to the population growth pattern of T. urticae on the plant; P. persimilis responds to plants until the spider mite population feeding on a plant collapses, after which infested plants do not attract predators. It has been suggested that this represents an early enemy-free period for T. urticae before the next generation of females is produced. We hypothesize that the mechanism behind the diminished response of predators is due to extensive leaf damage caused by T. urticae feeding, which reduces the production of volatiles irrespective of the collapse of T. urticae population on the plant. To test this hypothesis we investigated how the response of P. persimilis to prey-infested plants is affected by: 1) initial density of T. urticae, 2) duration of infestation, and 3) corresponding leaf damage due to T. urticae feeding. Specifically, we assessed the response of P. persimilis to plants infested with two T. urticae densities (20 or 40 per plant) after 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14 days. We also measured leaf damage on these plants. We found that predator response to T. urticae-infested plants can be quantified as a function of mite-days, which is a cumulative measure of the standing adult female mite population sampled and summed over time. That is, response to volatiles increased with increasing numbers of T. urticae per plant or with the length of time plant was infested by T. urticae, at least as long at the leaves were green. Predatory mites were significantly attracted to plants that were infested for 2 days with only 20 spider mites. This suggests that the enemy-free period might only provide a limited window of opportunity for T. urticae because relatively low numbers of T. urticae per plant can attract predators. Leaf damage also increased as a function of mite-days until the entire leaf was blanched. T. urticae populations decreased at this time, but predator response to volatiles dropped before the entire leaf was blanched and before the T. urticae population decreased. This result supports our hypothesis that predator response to plant volatiles is linked to and limited by the degree of leaf damage, and that the quantitative response to T. urticae populations occurs only within a range when plant quality has not been severely compromised.

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“…2007). Specifically, the timing and intensity of dispersal from local patches can affect the persistence of a predator–prey interaction (Huffaker 1958; Zeigler 1977; Crowley 1981; Nachman 1987; Holyoak & Lawler 1996); successful colonization of new patches is related to the number of dispersers produced in predator‐occupied patches (Sabelis et al. 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in predator foraging behaviour changes predator–prey spatio‐temporal dynamics

et al. 2011

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Summary1. Foraging underlies the ability of all animals to acquire essential resources and thus provides a critical link to understand population dynamics. A key issue is how variation in foraging behaviour affects foraging efficiency and predator-prey interactions in spatially heterogeneous environments. However, there is very little quantitative information available on this topic. 2. We evaluated the impact of variation in predator foraging on population dynamics of the predatory mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis, and its prey, the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, in a heterogeneous environment. 3. Through artificial selection, we generated predator lines with high levels of prey consumption, conversion efficiency or dispersal, which were otherwise similar in foraging and life history. With these lines, we experimentally compared the effect of these traits on temporal and spatial patterns of predators and prey. 4. We initiated the experiments in a 24-plant landscape, which contained two discrete prey patches (i.e. prey-infested plants) under two initial predator-prey population ratios (1 : 10 and 1 : 30). Predators were introduced into one of the prey patches and were left to forage for 24 days. 5. Predator population growth was similar among the three selected lines, but the high conversion efficiency line produced the most predators and had the highest predator-prey ratio, and the high consumption and high dispersal lines were intermediate. The unselected line showed the least predator growth and lowest predator-prey ratio throughout the experiment. 6. Initial predator-prey ratio did not affect the impact of the selected lines on prey population growth at the high (1 : 10) ratio. However, at the low predator-prey ratio (1 : 30), the unselected line had a much greater prey numbers than the selected lines. 7. Predators and prey were each individually aggregated, but the high conversion efficiency and high dispersal lines showed stronger spatial association and correlation with prey, while the high consumption line was less closely associated or correlated with the prey. 8. These results indicate that there may be multiple, equally effective strategies by which predators exploit prey in patchy landscapes, but suggest that the long-term dynamics may not be stable under all of these strategies.

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The evolution of overexploitation and mutualism in plant–herbivore–predator interactions and its impact on population dynamics

Cited by 14 publications

References 0 publications

Evaluation of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus macropilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as a biological control agent of the two-spotted spider mite on strawberry plants under greenhouse conditions

Evaluation of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus macropilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as a biological control agent of the two-spotted spider mite on strawberry plants under greenhouse conditions

Phytoseiulus persimilis response to herbivore-induced plant volatiles as a function of mite-days

Variation in predator foraging behaviour changes predator–prey spatio‐temporal dynamics

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