Host range and behavioral preferences in German sibling species of the Poecilochirus carabi complex (Acari: Mesostigmata: Parasitidae)

Abstract

The mites of the Poecilochirus carabi sibling species complex (Mesostigmata: Parasitidae) live in close association with burying beetles of the genus Nicrophorus (Coleoptera: Silphidae). Crossbreeding experiments and an electrophoretic analysis show that two species of this complex described to live on N. vespilloides and N. vespillo also occur on the sympatric species N. humator and N. investigator. The so-called species P-vo is abundant on N. vespillo, whereas species P-vs is dominant on the other three host species. Deutonymphs of both mite species discriminate in choice experiments between the four host species. Each species prefers the beetle species on which it is dominant in the field and avoids beetle species usually associated with the other mite species. However, if the preferred host species is absent, less attractive species are accepted by the mites.