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Olfactory Responses of the Predatory Mites (N eoseiulus cucumeris) and Insects (O rius strigicollis ) to Two Different Plant Species Infested with Onion Thrips (T hrips tabaci)

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Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Junji Takabayashi, Rika Ozawa, and Hiromichi Nitta for their constructive comments during the study. We also express gratitude to Kouichi Yamaguchi for providing us with the predatory mites. This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No. 19380188) of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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  1. Satoshi Tatemoto

    Present address: Fruit Tree Research Division, Agricultural Technology Research Center, Hiroshima Prefectural Technology Research Institute, Akitsu, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, 729-2402, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hiroshima Prefecture Agriculture Research Center, Hiroshima, 739-0151, Japan

    Satoshi Tatemoto

  2. Insect Pest Management Research Team, National Agricultural Research Center, Kannon-dai 3-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, 305-8666, Japan

    Takeshi Shimoda

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  1. Satoshi Tatemoto
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Correspondence to Takeshi Shimoda.

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Tatemoto, S., Shimoda, T. Olfactory Responses of the Predatory Mites (N eoseiulus cucumeris) and Insects (O rius strigicollis ) to Two Different Plant Species Infested with Onion Thrips (T hrips tabaci) . J Chem Ecol 34, 605–613 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-008-9469-4

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