Preference Performance Data

we studied the co-occurrence of two pests in coffee plants, the red spider mite Olygonychus ilicis (Acari: Tetranychidae) and the white mealybug Planococcus minor (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), which predominantly attack the aerial part of coffee plants and populations of both species peak in the dry season, but there is no report whether they share the same host plant. Given that both herbivores are potential plant manipulators, we examined whether herbivory by the white mealybug or the red spider mite can facilitate colonization and establishment of the other species in coffee plants. We conducted host preference and performance assays with the white mealybug and the red spider mite. These tests also allowed us to infer which sequence of attack in multiple infestation in coffee is more likely to occur. Briefly, our study showed that infestation by red spider mites facilitated the colonization and development of white mealybugs, while herbivory by mealybugs did not alter host preference by red spider mites, but increased plant resistance to them. These results indicate that multiple infestation in coffee plants by red spider mites followed by white mealybugs is a likely condition that deserves further investigation with regard to herbivore-induced changes.

本研究针对咖啡植株中的两种害虫开展共发生情况研究，分别为红蜘蛛螨（red spider mite, Olygonychus ilicis, Acari: Tetranychidae）与白色绵粉蚧（white mealybug, Planococcus minor, Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae）。二者均主要侵染咖啡植株的地上部分，种群数量均在旱季达到峰值，但目前尚无二者共享同一寄主植物的相关报道。鉴于两种植食性昆虫均为潜在的植物调控者，我们探究了白色绵粉蚧或红蜘蛛螨的取食是否能够促进另一物种在咖啡植株上的定殖与种群建立。我们针对白色绵粉蚧与红蜘蛛螨开展了寄主偏好及适合度测定实验。通过此类实验，我们还可推断咖啡植株复合侵染中更易出现的攻击时序。简言之，本研究结果显示：红蜘蛛螨的侵染可促进白色绵粉蚧的定殖与种群发育；而绵粉蚧的取食虽未改变红蜘蛛螨的寄主偏好，却会增强植株对其的抗性。上述结果表明，咖啡植株先受红蜘蛛螨侵染、再受白色绵粉蚧侵染的复合侵染模式具备较高发生可能性，值得针对植食者诱导的植物变化开展进一步研究。