The formation of collective silk balls in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch.
Tetranychus urticae is a phytophagous mite that forms colonies of several thousand individuals. These mites construct a common web to protect the colony. When plants become overcrowded and food resources become scarce, individuals gather at the plant apex to form a ball composed of mites and their s...
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2011-04-01
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Series: | PLoS ONE |
Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3077419?pdf=render |