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Video Q&A ViewAttendees 2

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

10-Minute Paper

P-IE: Ecology On-Demand Presentations

Survivability of diapausing females of two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) in water

On-Demand
On-Demand

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Sergei Popov

    Professor
    Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy
    Moscow, Moskva, Russia

    • Co-Author(s)

  • AA

    Andrei Alyokhin

    University of Maine
    Orono, Maine

  • EK

    Egor Kiselyov

    Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy
    Moscow, Moskva, Russia

During spring flooding, females of two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), diapausing on host plants close to the soil surface can end up being submerged under water or carried by water flow. Spring floods may last 10 days or more. Therefore, survivability of diapausing females over extended periods of time in cold water may be an important parameter affecting population dynamics of this species. We investigated the survival of diapausing females of this species on leaf fragments of strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) and inside wheat (Triticum aestivum) straws  submerged under water in plastic vials under laboratory conditions at temperature of 4-7° C. Among the tested mites diapausing on leaf surfaces, 76.3±13.1% (mean ± SE) survived submergence in water for 10 days, 4.8±3.0% – for 20-24 days, 3.0±2.1% – for 30 days, and 8.7±5.9% – for 42-46 days. Among the tested mites diapausing inside wheat straws, 33.3±9.0% remained alive after being flooded for 10 days, but none survived being submerged for 30 days. Mite survival was likely facilitated by air bubbles remaining on the surface of the leaves or inside the straws. Floodwaters may be an important factor in spider mite dispersal, geographic isolation, and gene flow; in addition, floods may also be partially responsible for the formation of species assemblages of spider mites along flooding rivers.