title: Spider mites assess predation risk by using the odor of injured conspecifics.
abstract: When a predatory mite, Amblyseius womersleyi is present, Tetranychus kanzawai takes refuge on its webs during a quiescent stage. To examine the factors responsible for the antipredator behavior of T. kanzawai, we exposed T. kanzawai to the odor of conspecifics, A. womersleyi, and both T. kanzawai and A. womersleyi. The proportion of T. kanzawai females that took refuge was significantly higher when they were exposed to the odor of 'both T. kanzawai and A. womersleyi.' Furthermore, the proportion of T. kanzawai females that took refuge was significantly higher when they were exposed to injured conspecifics than to intact conspecifics. These results suggest that T. kanzawai assesses predation risk, at least in part, by using the odor of injured conspecifics.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ecological Information, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan. koku@kais.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oku
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osakabe
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takafuji
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005260:Female; D009812:Odorants; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D040102:Tetranychidae / Q000502:physiology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries