Abstract
On two wild host plants, Calystegia japonica Choisy (Convolvulaceae) and Cayratia japonica (Thunb.) Gagnep. (Vitaceae), more tetranychid mites were found on curved leaves than on flat leaves. In addition, more Cay. japonica leaflets inoculated with Tetranychus kanzawai Kishida (Acari: Tetranychidae) females became curved than those without the mite, suggesting that T. kanzawai actively deforms the leaves of its host plants. In the presence of the predatory mite Neoseiulus womersleyi Schicha (Acari: Phytoseiidae), the fecundity of T. kanzawai was indirectly reduced. However, this negative effect of predators was mitigated on curved leaves compared with that on flat leaves. In the presence of predators, T. kanzawai females on curved leaves laid more eggs on webs than those on flat leaves, suggesting that curved leaves provide more refuge for T. kanzawai, which could be a benefit of leaf deformation.
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