Damage by Mites Modulates the Pest Status of Subsequent Pest Species by Providing Shelter and Resources

Damage caused by herbivores often modifies plant structure and physiology, which may change the behavior and biology of future herbivores. Here, we studied these interactions among the major coconut pest, the mite Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae), and two minor pests, the mite Steneotarsonemus concavuscutum (Acari: Tarsonemidae) and the moth Atheloca bondari (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). All these species develop in the meristematic zone of coconuts, which is difficult to access because of the small opening between the epicarp and perianth. Both mites cause necrosis on the epicarp of the nuts, which may facilitate access to the meristematic zone by caterpillars. However, A. bondari caterpillars co-occur predominantly with A. guerreronis and not with S. concavuscutum , suggesting that infestation by the caterpillars does not only depend on access to the meristem. Therefore, we evaluated how the caterpillars infest nuts that were either uninfested, infested by A. guerreronis , S. concavuscutum , or both. We also tested the preference of caterpillars and adult moths, and the performance of A. bondari on nuts subjected to these treatments. Caterpillars preferred nuts with easy access to the meristematic region, regardless of the presence of mites. Atheloca bondari females did not preferentially oviposit in coconut bunches infested with mites, but A. bondari caterpillars performed better on the A. guerreronis -infested nuts than on other nuts. We discuss how damage by mites can modify the relevance of A. bondari as a pest by increasing losses in coconut production