Stronger Antipredatory Vigilance of Prey to Olfactory Cues From Injured Vulnerable Conspecifics.

ABSTRACT: Predation risk is a key evolutionary force shaping prey behaviors and life-history strategies across taxa. Predators often target vulnerable life stages of prey, but how prey females adjust their reproductive strategies in response to cues from injured conspecifics of these stages remains unclear, particularly in haplodiploid species, where mothers can adjust offspring sex ratios in response to social environments. Using the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis and its prey, the spider mite Tetranychus ludeni, we first investigated the stage-specific vulnerability by exposing T. ludeni eggs, deutonymphs, and female adults to P. persimilis for choice. We then tested whether ovipositing T. ludeni females adjusted reproductive performances and survival whe

SUBMITTER: Simkhada R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12498088 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature