Prey and Pollen Food Choice Depends on Previous Diet in an Omnivorous Predatory Mite.
The time allocated by omnivorous predators to consuming prey versus plant-provided foods (e.g., pollen) directly influences their efficacy as biocontrol agents of agricultural pests. Nonetheless, diet shifting between these two very different food sources remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that previous diet composition influences subsequent choice of prey and plant food types. We tested this hypothesis by observing the foraging choices of Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) mites (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae), which were first maintained on either prey (broad mites) or corn pollen, and then offered familiar and unfamiliar foods. A. swirskii exhibited strong fidelity to familiar food, whether prey or pollen, suggesting there are physiological or behavioral costs involved in shifting between such different foods. Results illustrate the importance of previous diet for subsequent pest consumption by omnivorous natural enemies.
Department of Entomology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel (tarryn.harpaz@mail.huji.ac.il; moshe.coll@mail.huji.ac.il) tarryn.harpaz@mail.huji.ac.il.
Tarryn
T
Schuldiner-Harpaz
Department of Entomology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel (tarryn.harpaz@mail.huji.ac.il; moshe.coll@mail.huji.ac.il).
Moshe
M
Coll
Agricultural Research Organization, Gilat Research Center, DN Negev, 85280, Israel.
Phyllis G
PG
Weintraub
D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D008925:Mites / Q000502:physiology*; D011058:Pollen; D011235:Predatory Behavior
Amblyseius swirskii; Phytoseiidae; diet shifting; omnivory; pollen