| Title: | Reproductive interference and sensitivity to female pheromones in males and females of two herbivorous mite species |
| Address: | "Mountain Science Center, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan. uchietan@gmail.com. Evolutionary and Population Biology-IBED, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. uchietan@gmail.com. Evolutionary and Population Biology-IBED, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10493-020-00492-4 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1572-9702 (Electronic) 0168-8162 (Print) 0168-8162 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Competitive interaction between sister species can be affected by reproductive interference (RI) depending on the ability of males to discriminate conspecific from heterospecific mates. We study such interactions in Tetranychus evansi and T. urticae. These spider mites co-occur on solanaceous plants in Southern Europe, and cause important yield losses in tomato crops. Previous studies using Spanish populations found that T. evansi outcompetes T. urticae, and that this is due to unidirectional RI of T. evansi males with T. urticae females. The unidirectional RI is attributed to differences in male mate preference for conspecific females between the two species. Also, differences in the propensity of interspecific web sharing in females plays a role. To investigate proximate mechanisms of this RI, here we study the role of female pheromones on male mate preference and female web sharing. We extracted pheromones from females of the two species, and investigated if males and females were arrested by the pheromone extractions in various concentrations. We observed that T. urticae males were more sensitive to the pheromone extractions and able to discriminate conspecific from heterospecific ones. Tetranychus evansi males, on the other hand, were less sensitive. Females from both species were arrested by conspecific pheromone extraction in lower concentrations. In conclusion, heterospecific mating by T. evansi males, which results in RI, can be explained by their lack of discrimination between female pheromones of the two species. Differences in the propensity of interspecific web sharing in females might not be explained by the pheromones that we investigated" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Europe Female Herbivory Male Mating Preference, Animal Pheromones/*physiology Reproduction Tetranychidae/*physiology Male mating preference Pheromone Reproductive interference Tetranychus evansi Tetranychus urticae Tomato Web sharing;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineSato, Yukie Alba, Juan M eng 17K07556/Japan Society for the Promotion of Science/ Netherlands 2020/04/21 Exp Appl Acarol. 2020 May; 81(1):59-74. doi: 10.1007/s10493-020-00492-4. Epub 2020 Apr 19" |
