The repeatability of personality in the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis

• Grant number: 25/23203-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 30, 2025
• End date: March 29, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Animal Behavior
• Principal Investigator: Mário Eidi Sato
• Grantee: Guilherme Riquelme Barreto
• Supervisor: Peter Schausberger
• Host Institution: Instituto Biológico (IB). Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Vienna, Austria
• Associated to the scholarship: 25/02859-6 - Diversity and dynamics of mites in citrus agroecosystem in the state of São Paulo, BP.IC

Abstract

Animal personality traits refer to consistent behavioral tendencies that vary among individuals within the same population and persist over time and can be influenced by different environmental contexts. Animal personality traits are primarily measured along five behavioral axes: activity, boldness, sociability, exploration, and aggressiveness. The personality traits can be influenced by their genome and by environmental factors that individuals experience in their lives and can be transferred throughout various stages of life, influencing life history and future behavior. Behavioral repeatability is the core characteristic of animal personality traits. Mites, like many other invertebrate and vertebrate animals, display personality traits, with those in the family Phytoseiidae being the most extensively studied in this context. The current project aims to study and verify whether the personality of Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is consistent throughout its ontogeny, specifically regarding boldness and activity. We will test whether immature stages (nymphs) and adults of P. persimilis exhibit the same personality traits regarding activity and their interaction with the traces of another predatory mite: Amblyseius andersoni (Chant) (Acari: Phytoseiidae). The study can provide insights into how personality and interspecific interactions may vary according to the life stages of individuals. Additionally, understanding the ecology and behavior of mites at the individual level becomes critically important to comprehend higher levels of ecological organization, such as populations and communities, of these organisms. (AU)