From mite ecology to applied acarology in neotropical agroecosystems

Abstract: In a food web where the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae is the inducerand the red spider mite Tetranychus evansi is the suppressor of plant defence, the ecologicalconsequences may vary from the expected among the members of the arthropod communityin agroecosystems. We studied how defence suppression by T. evansi on tomato plantsimpacts its population through competition with other herbivores and predation in the field.With a population biology and evolutionary ecology approach, we obtained insights requiredfor new crop protection strategies to combat plant-defence-suppressing pests.