Imprinted or innate food preferences in the model mite Archegozetes longisetosus (Actinotrichida, Oribatida, Trhypochthoniidae)

Abstract

Most oribatid mites are opportunistic feeders with a broad variety of different food sources. However, preferences for certain food such as dark pigmented fungi, led to the ‘choosy generalist’-hypothesis. The mechanisms behind this idea and whether oribatid mites have an innate or learned preference for food are unknown. We used Archegozetes longisetosus Aoki to test whether mites prefer unknown high quality food or food they have experienced before. We found that A. longisetosus did not prefer known food, and that food preferences were innate and not due to imprinting/learning behavior.

Keywords

• behavioral ecology
• soil fauna
• choosy generalist