Data for the manuscript entitled: "Spider mites collectively avoid plants with cadmium irrespective of their frequency or the presence of competitors"

Data for the collective host choice and performance of spider mites (2023data.xlsx; adultF.xlsx; cleanpplants.xlsx; Fecnozero.xlsx): 200 Tetranychus urticae females were placed in an arena connected to the 4th leaf of 5 tomato plants. The plants were either contaminated with cadmium (3 mM) or cadmium-free and were either uninfested or infested with 100 T. evansi females. Mites were allowed to chose a host for 24 hours. After this period the number of females on each plant was registered, as well as the number of eggs laid. In the cases where there were plants infested with T. evansi the leaves were collected and kept for 14 days until the following generation of adul females of each specias was counted.Data for the individual choice of T. urticae (Habitat_Choice_G14_SR1.xlsx): T. urticae females were placed in a plastic strip connecting two plant leaf discs, one made from the 3rd or 4th leaf of one cadmium-free plant and the other made from the 3rd or 4th leaf of plant with cadmium (2 mM). Mites were allowed to chose a leaf disc for 24 hours. After this period the choice of each female was registered, as well as the number of eggs laid on each leaf disc.Data for the individual performance of T. urticae (Habitat_Choice_G14_SR1.xlsx): T. urticae females were placed in leaf disc made from the 3rd or 4th leaf of either a cadmium-free plant or plant with cadmium (2 mM). Mites were allowed to lay eggs for 48 hours. After this period the number of eggs laid on each leaf disc.Each excel file has a read me sheet including the information needed to interpret the data sheet.<br><br>