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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Mites and leaf domatia: no evidence of mutualism in Coffea arabica plants

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Author(s):
Romero, Gustavo Quevedo [1] ; Daud, Rodrigo Damasco [2] ; Salomao, Adriana Trevizoli [3] ; Martins, Luiz Fernando [4] ; Fazzio' Feres, Reinaldo Jose [5] ; Benson, Woodruff Whitman [1]
Total Authors: 6
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Estadual Campinas UNICAMP, Inst Biol, Dept Biol Anim, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil
[2] Univ Fed Goias, Inst Ciencias Biol, Dept Ecol, Dept Biol Geral, BR-74001970 Goiania, Go - Brazil
[3] Univ Estadual Campinas UNICAMP, Inst Biol, Programa Posgrad Ecol, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil
[4] Ctr Pesquisas & Desenvolvimento Leopoldo Amer Mig, BR-21941915 Rio De Janeiro - Brazil
[5] Univ Estadual Paulista UNESP, Inst Biociencias Letras & Ciencias Exatas, Dept Bot & Zool, BR-15054000 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 5
Document type: Journal article
Source: Biota Neotropica; v. 11, n. 1, p. 27-34, JAN-MAR 2011.
Web of Science Citations: 6
Abstract

We conducted experiments by blocking off pit-like domatia from old and new leaves of Coffea arabica L., using tiny resin drops, to investigate the role of domatia on i) mite abundance at the community level and on ii) leaf damages. More than 77% of the mites collected were predators, whereas 19 and 3.3% were omnivores and phytophages, respectively. Domatia blockage treatment had no influence either on mite abundances or leaf damages. However, predatory and omnivorous mites were more abundant on new than on the old leaves; phytophagous mites occurred at very low density and occupied only plants having open domatia. The absence of mutualism between mites and C. arabica probably occurred because the entrances of domatia were too small and did not enable the entry of fitoseid predators in these structures. (AU)