Effects of mite age, mite density, and host quality on aerial dispersal behavior in the twospotted spider mite

Abstract

Mite age, population density, and host leaf quality affect various life history traits in spider mites. We investigated the effects of these factors on the aerial dispersal behavior of adult female twospotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). The proportion of adult females exhibiting the dispersal behavior dropped significantly with age following adult emergence, particularly in the first 3 days. Sixty to eighty percent of female mites 2‐days old or younger displayed the behavior under test conditions, whereas less than 20% of female mites older than 3‐days‐old showed the behavior. Younger adult females also exhibited shorter latency for the behavior, although this trend was not as clear. Leaf quality experienced during deutonymph development had no effect on the behavior adults subsequently displayed. On the other hand, adult females that fed on poor quality leaves after emergence were twice as likely to display the behavior (90% vs. 45%), and with shorter latency (37 vs. 77 min), than those that fed on high quality leaves. When newly emerged adult females encountered high mite density and dry leaves, the incidence of the behavior increased (69% vs. 47%) and latency decreased (69 vs. 93 min) compared to mites that encountered low density on well watered leaves. Our results suggest that both starvation and desiccation of adult females may enhance their dispersal behavior.

Population structure in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) from Crete based on multiple allozymes

“…This behaviour occurs in the presence of air currents and increases the probability of being blown away; it is manifested especially by young mated females (Li & Margolies, 1993). In a maize-peanut agroecosystem, ground crawling was observed in the spring when T urticae moved from overwintering sites to adjacent maize fields, and aerial dispersal was observed for the subsequent colonization of peanut plants later in the season (Brandenburg & Kennedy, 1982;Margolies & Kennedy, 1985).…”

Allocating time between feeding, resting and moving by the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae and its predator Phytoseiulus persimilis

“…4). This age represents the teneral phase, during which adult female spider mites are most likely to disperse (Hussey and Parr, 1963;Li and Margolies, 1993). The feeding bouts immediately after moult were of similar duration on damaged and clean leaves during this time, averaging approximately 300 s (Fig.…”

“…In this way clusters or patches of spider mite-infested leaves develop. Spider mites respond to this localized feeding-induced leaf damage by dispersing away from damaged leaves (Suski and Naegele 1968;Kondo and Takafuji, 1985;Li and Margolies, 1993). Because of their ability to disperse and the explosive growth potential of mite populations (Sabelis, 1981), mites can infest and kill entire plants.…”

Dispersal distance is influenced by parental and grand-parental density

“…Under controlled conditions, when resources are scarce and population densities become too high, mites disperse individually either by ambulatory [42] or aerial means [43]. Newly emerged 1-to 2-day old mated adult females are considered to be the dispersers [43].…”