Data from: Effects of alternative prey density on cannibalism in adult female Neoseiulus californicus
Abstract
Neoseiulus californicus is a key predatory mite species used in the control of pest mites on crops such as strawberries and corn. Cannibalism is common among predatory mites, but studies on how prey density influences the cannibalistic behavior of N. californicus remain limited. This repository includes two worksheets documenting the cannibalistic behavior of two N. californicus strains: TU strain: Long-term reared on the natural prey Tetranychus urticae (two-spotted spider mite); and OB strain: Long-term reared on the alternative prey Oulenziella bakeri. The worksheets record cannibalism events targeting four conspecific life stages: eggs, larvae, protonymphs, and deutonymphs. Data were acquired via controlled laboratory experiments, with standardized environmental conditions (25 ± 1 °C temperature, 75 ± 5 % relative humidity, 16L:8D photoperiod) to ensure result reproducibility. Each treatment (strain × alternative prey density) included 20 biological replicates. These data support the selection of Neoseiulus californicus strains and the optimization of alternative prey allocation in biological control programs, providing a scientific basis for enhancing the mite’s practical application in pest management (e.g., regulating prey density to reduce cannibalism and improve biocontrol efficiency). The dataset is provided as two CSV files: Cannibalism_rate (%).csv andRaw data.csv. Each file contains clearly labeled columns.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.kd51c5bmf
Description of the data and file structure
This dataset was generated from controlled ecological experiments investigating the cannibalistic behavior of Neoseiulus californicus (two strains: TU and OB) under different alternative prey density conditions. The cannibalistic behavior of TU-strain or OB-strain adult females was tested against four conspecific immature stages: eggs, larvae, protonymphs, and deutonymphs. For each stage, one starved female was placed in the test arena with one individual of the respective immature stage. One of four densities of O. bakeri adults (0, 1, 3, or 5 individuals) was introduced into the arena. The chamber was then sealed with binder clips. Each of these treatment combinations was replicated 20 times. After 24 hours, we recorded whether cannibalism had occurred (1 = yes; 0 = no). Any replicate in which mites escaped was discarded and excluded from the analysis.
Cannibalism rate (%) = (Number of cannibalized events / otal number of replicates) × 100%.
Files and variables
File: Data.zip：This compressed archive contains two CSV files:
Data-Specific Information for: Cannibalism_rate (%).csv:
Cannibalism: Number of individuals that were cannibalized in the replicate.
Non-cannibalism: Number of individuals that were not cannibalized in the replicate.
Data-Specific Information for: Raw data:
Cannibalism: Whether cannibalism occurred (1 = yes; 0 = no).
Data-Specific Information for: Cannibalism_rate (%).csv and Raw data.csv:
LifeStage: The developmental stage of conspecific individuals (eggs, larvae, protonymphs, deutonymphs).
Density: The density of the alternative prey Oulenziella bakeri (0, 1, 3, or 5 individuals).
Cannibalism_Rate (%): The proportion of individuals that were cannibalized, calculated as Cannibalism rate (%) = (Number of cannibalized events / otal number of replicates) × 100%.
Strain: OB (reared long-term on Oulenziella bakeri) and TU (reared long-term on Tetranychus urticae).
Code/software
Raw data were processed and summarized using Excel 2019.