Abstract
The impact of spruce spider mite (SSM) (Oligonychus ununguis Jacobi, Acari: Tetranychidae) feeding on needle compounds of young dwarf white spruce (Picea glauca ‘Conica’), important in defence against pests, was determined. It was shown that the direction and intensity of changes in chemical composition of spruce needles was related to the density of spruce spider mite population. Relative to uninfested controls, needles of trees infested by 2–6 mites per 5 cm oftwig during 8 weeks contained markedly higher concentration of soluble proteins, total phenolics and essential oil volatiles (linalool, β-phellandrene, β-myrcene, δ-3-carene, p-cymene, limonene, α-pinene, β-pinene, borneol, methyl salicylate, geranyl acetate). Feeding of a three times larger population of mites (18 specimens per 5 cm of twig) caused either reduction of concentration of those compounds, or no significant difference in comparison to the control.
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