Neoseiulus baraki (Acari: Phytoseiidae) survival and walking in response to environmental stress

Living organism is exposed to the influence of various environmental conditions. These environmental conditions can trigger stress and compromise the fitness of the organism. As living organisms, phytoseiid mites are frequently exposed to a range of environmental stressors. In the present study, we attempted to explore the responses of the Neoseiulus baraki to environmental stress factors (temperature and humidity). Initially, the effect of different temperature (18–33 °C) and relative humidity (10–95%) levels on the survivorship of unfed N. baraki females was evaluated. Next, we estimated the walking parameters (distance traveled and average walking speed) with a computerized tracking system and we tested how N. baraki is constrained in their effective displacement by their ability to walk and survive in absence of food. The proportion of surviving N. baraki as well as mean survival time decreased significantly with increasing temperature. The opposite trend was observed to relative humidity. The distance covered by N. baraki reduced with increasing temperature (when only taking the temperature dependence of the survival time but not of walking speed and neither the tortuosity of the walking path) ranged from 550 m at 18 oC to 100 m at 33 oC. Under climatic conditions representative for the Tropics (27 oC and 75 % RH) N. baraki was able to survive up to 1.5 days (36 h) without feeding and covered 0.9 m in 10 min as displacement estimated by walking.