Chinese Journal of Entomology (1995) 15, 137-148

Sheuan-Ping Shiue, Chain-Ing T. Shih and Kui-Fang Pai (1995)
Guarding and arresting behavioral responses of males Tetranychus urticae Koch and Tetranychus kanzawai Kishida (Acarina: Tetranychidae) to the conspecific and heterospecific females
Chinese Journal of Entomology 15 (2), 137-148
Abstract: Within 1, 2 and 5 hours, the female-teleiochrysalid-guarding (FTG) rates of Tetranychus urticae Koch (TSM) and Tetranychus kanzawai Kishida (KSM) increased with incremental duration of con- and hetero-specific pairing. Conspecifically copulated females produced two-third of fertilized eggs but heterospecifically copulated ones produced no fertilized eggs. Pairing for 2 hours, both males of TSM and KSM behaved more aggressively on con- than hetero-specific female guarding (CFTG and HFTG. From the responses of the males to the pheromones, KSM males seem to be able to identify a broader spectrum of pheromones than TSM males do or female-teleiochrysalis (FT) of TSM releases a more diversiform pheromones than KSM does. Competing for CFTG, TSM did not show a higher detained FTG rate than KSM did, and both rival males played interrupting, agonistic and replacing behavior against detained males and a co-guarding behavior. Replacing rate by the intruding rival males to HFTG males was higher to CFTG ones (TSM: Chi2 = 8.50, df=2; KSM: Chi2 = 23.16, df=12) and the detained males usually mated first with the guarded females. At the presences of both female species, TSM males FTG rates were 41.7 % on CFT and 48.3 % on HFT, but KSM males showed no difference on guarding rates between CFTG and HFTG after 12 hours of pairing. Both species demonstrated mate-first behavior by which TSM males mated 47.8 % of CF and 28.6 % of HF while KSM males mated 66.7 % and 72.2 % of CF and HF, respectively. In conclusion, TSM male performs a high CFTG rate, the low surrender and replace rate to the rival males, and a higher mate-first strategy to the intruding females. Therefore, TSM seems to retain a higher intraspecific communication and affinity between the males and the females to have a higher advantage in competition against KSM. With a higher tropism to both CFT and HFT, a higher HFTG rate and a higher tendency of mate-first behaviors of KSM than TSM, KSM competed superiorly with TSM in postponding best copulating time and chance and wasting the copulation energy of heterospecific females. Consequently, these two ecological homologous spider mites performed different inter- and intea-specific mating behavior to have their advantage in competition.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
environment - cropping system/rotation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Tetranychus urticae
	Tetranychus kanzawai