A novel experimental approach for studying life-history traits of phytophagous arthropods utilizing an artificial culture medium.

ABSTRACT: Experimental approaches to studying life-history traits in minute herbivorous arthropods are hampered by the need to work with detached host plant material and the difficulty of maintaining that material in a suitable condition to support the animal throughout the duration of the test. In order to address this shortcoming, we developed a customizable agar-based medium modified from an established plant cell-culture medium to nourish detached leaves laid atop it while also preventing arthropods from escaping the experimental arena. The artificial culture medium was tested with two herbivorous mite species: the wheat curl mite (Aceria tosichella; Eriophyidae) and two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae; Tetranychidae). The proposed approach was a major improvement over a standard protoc

SUBMITTER: Karpicka-Ignatowska K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6937311 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature