Mw. Ir. J.G. de Boer : Roofmijten op jacht met hulp van plantengeuren

  Nieuws
  Vaknieuws
  Wagenings commentaar
  Dossiers
  Perskamer
  Archief
  Agenda
  2012
  2011
  2010
  2009
  2008
  2007
  2006
  2005
  2004
  2003
  2002
  2001
  2000
  1999
  Nieuws
  RSS
  Agenda
  Open dagen
  Congressen en symposia
  Cursussen
  Promoties & Oraties

13 feb 2004 16:00
Onderdeel: Wageningen UR
Locatie: Aula (gebouw 362), Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Promotor: prof.dr. M. Dicke (Entomology)
Co-Promotor: Prof.dr. M.W. Sabelis

 Natural enemies of herbivorous arthropods can use volatiles from plants to locate their prey. Plants emit specific odours upon infestation by herbivores and these odours comprise information about the presence and quality of prey. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles can consist of many different compounds. The composition of the odour is influenced by plant and herbivore species, but also by the conditions under which plants are grown (e.g. light, water and nutrients) and by infestation with a second herbivore or pathogen. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles play an important role in the prey-searching behaviour of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis. This predatory mite is an important biocontrol agent of spider mites in the genus Tetranychus. During my Ph.D.-project I investigated three aspects of its searching behaviour: (1) how predatory mites respond to spider mite-induced plant odours when they are mixed with other herbivore-induced plant volatiles, (2) which specific compounds play a role in the searching behaviour of the predatory mite, and (3) the role of ‘learning’ in the response of the predatory mite to plant volatiles.
Print dit agenda item