title: Spatial distribution and inbreeding in Tetranychus urticae.
abstract: In group living, species spatial distribution results from responses to environmental heterogeneity and/or mutual interactions between individuals. These mutual interactions can be regulated by genetic and/or epigenetic factors. In this study, we focus on genetic factors and investigate how the spatial distribution of some individuals colonizing a new environment is influenced by inbreeding. Our biological model is Tetranychus urticae, a phytophagous mite considered as a major pest of many cultivated plants. Groups of T. urticae were composed of individuals from successive inbreeding (sister-brother sib-mating). Our results show that the inter-individual distances increase with inbreeding. Indeed, inbreeding level seems to be an important factor affecting the intra-plant spatial distribution of mites. These results confirm that mites have the capability to discriminate their kin and, moreover, that they are able to accurately perceive differences between close relatives from sib-mating lines.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'écologie et de biogéographie, Biodiversity Research Centre, université catholique de Louvain, 4-5, place Croix du Sud, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. guillaume.legoff@uclouvain.be
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Le Goff
authors.forename: Anne-Catherine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Mailleux
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Detrain
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Deneubourg
authors.forename: Gwendoline
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Clotuche
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hance
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D007178:Inbreeding; D008297:Male; D008925:Mites / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D027805:Phaseolus; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000469:parasitology; D013037:Spatial Behavior