Variation in nesting behavior of eight species of spider mites, Stigmaeopsis having sociality.
Nesting behavior is considered to be an important element of social living in animals. The spider mites belonging to the genus Stigmaeopsis spend their lives within nests produced from silk threads. Several of these species show cooperative sociality, while the others are subsocial. In order to identify the origins of this social behavior, comparisons of nest sizes, nesting behaviors (making nests continuously or separately), and their associated traits (fecal deposition patterns) were made for eight cogeneric Stigmaeopsis species showing various levels of social development. All of these species inhabit bamboo plants (Poaceae). We initially addressed the proximate factor of nest size variation. The variation in nest size of the eight species corresponded well with the variation in dorsal seta sc1 length, suggesting that nest size variation among species may have a genetic basis. The time spent within a nest (nest duration) increased with nest size on the respective host plants. Nest arrangement patterns varied among species showing different sized nests: Large nest builders continuously extended their nests, while middle and small nest-building species built new separate nests, which resulted in different social interaction times among species, and is thought to be closely related to social development. Fecal deposition behaviors also varied among Stigmaeopsis species, suggesting diversity in anti-predatory adaptations. Finally, we discuss how the variation in sociality observed within this genus is likely the result of nest size variation that initially evolved as anti-predator strategies.
Research Center of Engineer and Technology of Natural Enemy Resource of Crop Pest in Fujian, Institute of Plant Protection, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Science, Fuzhou, 350013, China. yutsat@res.agr.hokudai.ac.jp.|Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8589, Japan. yutsat@res.agr.hokudai.ac.jp.
Yutaka
Y
Saito
Research Center of Engineer and Technology of Natural Enemy Resource of Crop Pest in Fujian, Institute of Plant Protection, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Science, Fuzhou, 350013, China.
Yan-Xuan
YX
Zhang
Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8589, Japan.
Kotaro
K
Mori
Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kochi University, 200 Monobeotsu, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8502, Japan.
Katsura
K
Ito
Sugadaira Montane Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Ueda, Nagano, 386-2204, Japan.
Yukie
Y
Sato
Office of International Education, Research Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, 041-8611, Japan.
Anthony R
AR
Chittenden
Research Center of Engineer and Technology of Natural Enemy Resource of Crop Pest in Fujian, Institute of Plant Protection, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Science, Fuzhou, 350013, China.
Jian-Zhen
JZ
Lin
Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kochi University, 200 Monobeotsu, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8502, Japan.
Younghae
Y
Chae
Agroscience Research Laboratories, Hokusan Co. Ltd, Kita Hiroshima, 061-1111, Japan.
Takane
T
Sakagami
Laboratory of Applied Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, 3-18-8, Ueda, Morioka, 020-8550, Japan.
Ken
K
Sahara
D000818:Animals; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000469:parasitology; D012919:Social Behavior; D013045:Species Specificity; D040102:Tetranychidae / Q000502:physiology*
Anti-predator adaptation; Convergence; Divergence; Life type; Tetranychidae
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