Olfactory Responses of the Predatory Mites (Neoseiulus cucumeris) and Insects (Orius strigicollis) to Two Different Plant Species Infested with Onion Thrips (Thrips tabaci)

• Published in: Journal of chemical ecology Vol. 34; no. 5; pp. 605 - 613
• Main Authors: Tatemoto, Satoshi, Shimoda, Takeshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York New York : Springer-Verlag 01.05.2008; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Allium fistulosum; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biological control; Biological Microscopy; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Chemical ecology; Chemosensory perception; Control; cucumbers; Cucumis sativus; Cucumis sativus - parasitology; Ecology; Entomology; Feeding Behavior; foraging; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; herbivore-induced plant volatiles; host plants; Insecta - physiology; Insects; Leaves; Life Sciences; Neoseiulus cucumeris; olfactometry; olfactory attraction; onions; Orius; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; plant damage; Plant ecology; Plant species; Predation; Predators; predatory insects; predatory mites; Protozoa. Invertebrates; Smell; Species Specificity; Synecology; Terrestrial ecosystems; Thrips tabaci; tritrophic interactions; Vegetables; volatile compounds; Attraction; Herbivore-induced volatiles; Spring onion; Cucumber; Avoidance; Monocotyledones; Insecta; Biological control; Orius strigicollis; Thrips tabaci; Induced defense; Pest; Acari; Entomophagous; Beneficial animal; Dicotyledones; Host plant; Angiospermae; Gamasida; Allium fistulosum; Parasitiformes; Volatile compound; Interspecific comparison; Cucurbitaceae; Cucumis sativus; Thysanoptera; Arachnida; Liliaceae; Vegetable crop; Animal plant relation; Neoseiulus cucumeris; Arthropoda; Olfaction; Flavoring crop; Thripidae; Spermatophyta; Predator; Invertebrata; Phytoseiidae
• ISSN: 0098-0331; 1573-1561
• DOI: 10.1007/s10886-008-9469-4

Responses of Neoseiulus cucumeris (a predatory mite) and the predatory insect Orius strigicollis to volatiles associated with two different plant species infested with onion thrips, Thrips tabaci, were examined in a Y-tube olfactometer. Both predators species showed a significant preference for volatiles from infested cucumber leaves without T. tabaci over clean air. However, they were not attracted to volatiles from uninfested cucumber leaves, artificially damaged cucumber leaves, or volatiles from T. tabaci plus their visible products collected from cucumber leaves. These results suggest that both predator species are capable of exploiting herbivore-induced volatiles from T. tabaci-infested cucumber leaves as a foraging cue. Neither predator was attracted to volatiles from uninfested spring onion leaves, infested spring onion leaves without T. tabaci, or volatiles from T. tabaci plus their visible products collected from spring onion leaves. Interestingly, they avoided volatiles from artificially damaged spring onion leaves. A possible explanation for the non-significant olfactory responses of the predator species to spring onion plants with infestation damage of T. tabaci is discussed.