It has been suggested that mosquito larvae and pupae dive to avoid predators. We tested this predator-avoidance hypothesis by using immature Anopheles gambiae Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) and the wolf spider Pardosa messingerae (Stand) (Araneae: Lycosidae). Because previous studies have suggested that wolf spiders are poor predators of immature mosquitoes, we first examined the predatory ability ...

Abstract Background The predatory mites, Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor), N. barkeri (Hughes), and Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot, are important predators attacking many insect mite pests. They can coexist in the same habitat engage intraguild predation (IGP). Main body IGP was assessed among exotic one native species A. as Intraguild predator (IG-predator)/intraguild prey (IG-prey) eith...

The poultry red mite (PRM) Dermanyssus gallinae is well known for its vectorial role pathogens, such as Salmonella enterica ser. Gallinarum, the causative agent of fowl typhoid. Here, we ascertained vertical transmission S. Gallinarum across PRM life stages, combining Baudruche-based in vitro feeding system and a PRM-fitting DNA extraction detection method by qPCR. Small-sized pools (4–5 specim...

A study in spider mites confirms predictions that males and females come into conflict over optimal sex allocation when local mate competition affects sex allocation in haplodiploid species.

It has been demonstrated that spider mites such as the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) are important allergens for fruit farmers. A total of 2,467 adults (795 metropolitan urban, 788 non-metropolitan urban, and 884 rural subjects) were enrolled. They responded to the questionnaire, and underwent methacholine bronchial provocation tests as well as skin prick tests to locally common...

A vermicompost, produced commercially from food wastes, was tested for its capacity to suppress populations and damage to plants, by two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae), mealy bugs (Pseudococcus sp.) and aphids (Myzus persicae), in the greenhouse. A range of mixtures of food waste vermicompost and a soil-less bedding plant growth medium Metro-Mix 360 (MM360) was tested in cages (40 c...

This study examined whether ecoparasitic larval Unionicola foili exhibited a sex bias when infecting laboratory populations of the host insect Chironomus tentans and whether an association with male or female midges increased the likelihood of larval mites returning to the aquatic habitat. When laboratory populations of C. tentans were exposed to larval U. foili, there was a higher prevalence o...