Do spider mite‐infested plants and spider mite trails attract predatory mites?

Abstract

AbstractWe questioned the well‐accepted concept that spider mite‐infested plants attract predatory mites from a distance. This idea is based on the preference demonstrated by predatory mites such as Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias‐Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) for volatiles produced by spider mite‐infested plants in a closed environment (Y‐tube wind tunnel). However, in natural open environments, kidney bean leaves heavily infested with Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) did not attract P. persimilis from the same distances as were used in the Y‐tube tests. Therefore, the attraction of predatory mites for spider mite‐infested plant volatiles in the Y‐tube tests may reflect a preference in a closed environment and should be carefully interpreted as a basis for extrapolating predator–prey attraction mechanisms in the wild. On the other hand, we showed that adult female P. persimilis could follow trails laid down by adult female T. urticae in the laboratory and in natural open environments. Consequently, we propose that following spider mite trails represents another prey‐searching cue for predatory mites.