The predatory mite Hypoaspis aculeifer is attracted to food of its fungivorous prey

To locate a prey a predator may rely on information originating from the habitat or the food of the prey, from the prey itself or its feeding activities. This study examines the origin of information used by the soil living predatory mite Hypoaspis aculeifer (Canestrini) when foraging for a fungivorous collembolan prey Folsomia f metaria (L.). Preference experiments were performed in Petri dishes, where the mite chose between fungal or agar cores with or without prey traces. The mite was attracted to fungi, but not to prey-related cues or other cues induced by grazing of collembolans. This suggests a foraging strategy of a generalist predator that mainly relies on fungal stimuli that lead to an area, where the probability of encountering fungivorous prey is high.