Counterattack success of a social spider mite against two predominant phytoseiid predator species

A survey was conducted of the predator fauna occurring in and around the nests of the two forms (LW: low male aggression and HG: high male aggression) of Stigmaeopsis miscanthi (Saito) that occur in Japan. Two phytoseiid species, Neoseiulus womersleyi (Schicha) and Typhlodromus bambusae Ehara predominated in S. miscanthi nests and their respective occurrence frequencies were the same in LW form nests as in HG form nests. We examined the counterattack success of S. miscanthi LW form males against these two phytoseiid predators. It was shown that while LW form male(s) could kill or effectively drive the larvae of both predator species out of their nests, there were no significant differences in the male counterattack success rate between 1-male and 2-male defended nests, or against the two predator species. On the other hand, there was a significant difference between the two predator species’ behavioral response to male-defended nests.