Relationships between the Pathogen Erysiphe alphitoides, the Phytophagous Mite Schizotetranychus garmani (Acari: Tetranychidae) and the Predatory Mite Euseius finlandicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in Oak

Autor: Slobodan Milanović, Katarina Mladenović, Bojan Stojnić, Alejandro Solla, Ivan Milenković, Vanja Uremović, Ayco J. M. Tack
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Insects, Vol 12, Iss 11, p 981 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 12110981
2075-4450
DOI: 10.3390/insects12110981
Popis: Food webs on forest trees include plant pathogens, arthropods, and their natural enemies. To increase the understanding of the impact of a plant pathogen on herbivore-natural enemy interactions, we studied the powdery mildew fungus Erysiphe alphitoides, the phytophagous mite Schizotetranychus garmani, and the predatory and mycophagous mite Euseius finlandicus in pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) leaves. In June, July and August of 2016, we assessed the severity of powdery mildew, mite population density and adult female mite size in 30 trees in three forests near Belgrade, Serbia. In August, the infection severity of E. alphitoides related positively to the population density of S. garmani and negatively to the body size of S. garmani females. Throughout the vegetative season, the infection severity of E. alphitoides related positively to the population density of E. finlandicus but not to its body size. The effect of E. alphitoides on the population density and adult size of S. garmani was not mediated by the population density of E. finlandicus, and vice versa. Interactions were consistent in all forests and varied with the summer month. Our findings indicate that E. alphitoides can influence the average body size and population densities of prey and predatory mites studied, irrespective of predator-prey relationships.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
Externí odkaz:
Nepřihlášeným uživatelům se plný text nezobrazuje