Expanding the ‘enemy-free space’ for oribatid mites: evidence for chemical defense of juvenile Archegozetes longisetosus against the rove beetle Stenus juno
Expanding the ‘enemy-free space’ for oribatid mites: evidence for chemical defense of juvenile Archegozetes longisetosus against the rove beetle Stenus juno
复制标题
扩大 oribatid 螨的“无敌空间”:幼年 Archegozetes longisetosus 对抗罗夫甲虫 Stenus juno 的化学防御证据
DOI:
10.1007/s10493-011-9501-1
复制
发表时间:
2012
影响因子:
2.2
通讯作者:
Raspotnig
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
Heethoff;Raspotnig
Adult oribatid mites are thought to live functionally in ‘enemy-free space’ due to numerous morphological and chemical defensive strategies. Most juvenile oribatid mites, however, lack hardened cuticles and are thus thought to be under stronger predation pressure. On the other hand, the majority of oribatids have exocrine oil glands in all developmental stages, possibly rendering chemical defense the crucial survival strategy in juvenile Oribatida. We manipulated tritonymphs of the model oribatid miteArchegozetes longisetosusto completely discharge their oil glands and offered these chemically disarmed specimens to the polyphagous rove beetleStenus juno. Disarmed specimens were easily consumed. By contrast, specimens with filled oil glands were significantly protected, being rejected by the beetles. This is the first direct evidence that oil gland secretions provide soft-bodied juvenile oribatids with chemical protection against large arthropod predators.