Predator experience changes spider mites’ habitat choice even without current threat

Abstract

As recent studies have revealed, previous exposure to a predator can change prey behavior even in the absence of current threat. We hypothesized that experiencing a predator increases prey avoidance of lower-quality resources even in the absence of a predator, which in turn influences the prey’s spatial distribution. We examined these hypotheses using the herbivorous spider mite Tetranychus kanzawai and the specialist predatory mite Neoseiulus womersleyi. We used Phaseolus vulgaris as a high-quality host plant and Hydrangea macrophylla as a low-quality host plant. First we examined whether T. kanzawai females that were previously exposed to predators preferred P. vulgaris to H. macrophylla under no current threat more than those without predator experience. Second, we tested the effect of predator experience on dispersal by T. kanzawai females on P. vulgaris or on H. macrophylla. Our results show that: (1) predator-experienced T. kanzawai females expressed stronger avoidance of the low-quality plant H. macrophylla than those without predator experiences; and (2) T. kanzawai females transferred to H. macrophylla traveled farther than those on P. vulgaris, especially females with previous predator experience. These findings reveal neglected aspects of the evolutionary interaction between predators and the habitat choices of their prey.