Predator-associated cues modify prey behaviour, but not short-term predator–prey encounter dynamics in Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Esmaeili-Rayat, Shaghayegh; ZahediGolpayegani, Azadeh; Saboori, Alireza; Mohammadi, Saba; Moghadasi, Mona

doi:10.22073/pja.150407

Predator-associated cues modify prey behaviour, but not short-term predator–prey encounter dynamics in Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Shaghayegh Esmaeili-Rayat ¹

Azadeh ZahediGolpayegani ²

Alireza Saboori ¹

Saba Mohammadi ¹

Mona Moghadasi ³

¹ Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

² Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

³ Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, ARREO, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22073/pja.150407

Abstract

Predator-associated cues can induce behavioural and life-history changes in prey without direct predator–prey interactions, yet whether these responses reduce subsequent predation risk remains poorly understood. We investigated how predator-associated cues from the phytoseiid mites Amblyseius swirskii and Neoseiulus californicus influenced spatial organization and reproductive potential in the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae. Adult female T. urticae were exposed to experimentally manipulated levels of predator-associated cues representing increasing perceived predation risk, and spatial organization and oviposition were subsequently measured. Two additional, independent experiments used experimentally imposed aggregated and dispersed prey distributions to test predator–prey encounter frequency and predator patch choice. Predator-associated cues induced trait-specific and predator-dependent responses. Exposure to A. swirskii cues caused a transient increase in prey dispersion after 3 h, whereas N. californicus cues had no significant effect on spatial organization. Cues from both predator species significantly reduced oviposition, with stronger reductions occurring under higher perceived risk. In the independent encounter experiment, experimentally imposed prey spatial distribution did not significantly affect encounter frequency for either predator species. In the independent patch-choice experiment, A. swirskii preferentially selected aggregated prey patches and initiated attacks there, whereas N. californicus showed no significant patch preference. These findings indicate that predator-associated cues can modify prey behaviour and reproduction, but the ecological consequences of prey spatial distribution depend on the stage of predator foraging and predator identity.

Keywords

Foraging behaviour

herbivorous mites

phytoseiid mites

predator recognition

risk perception

trait-mediated interactions

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