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Transmission of ice-nucleating active bacteria from a prey reduces cold hardiness of a predator (Araneae: Theridiidae)

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Abstract

The influence of ice-nucleating active (INA) bacteria on cold hardiness of the house spider, Achaearanea tepidariorum, was determined by measuring the supercooling point (SCP) of hatchlings given either INA-bacteria-fed or bacteria-free prey (Drosophila melanogaster). Spiders that had eaten INA-bacteria-fed flies showed higher SCPs than those fed on bacteria-free flies. Through feeding, INA bacteria in the prey reduce the cold hardiness of spiders. This fact should be taken into account before using INA agents as a means of pest management.

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Acknowledgements

We thank M. Sato and K. Watanabe for providing us with the Ni 23 strain of P. syringae, M. Shimoda and M. Myohara for providing D. melanogaster, and S. Masaki for the critical reading of an early version of the manuscript. This study was partly supported by grant (13740447) from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan (to K.T.) and from the Japan Science and Technology Corporation (Domestic Research Fellow) (to K.T.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecological Laboratory, GE, Miyagi Gakuin Women's University, Sakuragaoka 9-1-1, 981-8557, Aobaku, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan

    Kazuhiro Tanaka

  2. Hokkaido National Agricultural Experiment Station, 062-8555, Sapporo, Japan

    Kazuhiro Tanaka

  3. Laboratory of Insect Life-Cycles and Physiology, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Owashi 1-2, 305-8634, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    Masahiko Watanabe

Authors
  1. Kazuhiro Tanaka
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  2. Masahiko Watanabe
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Correspondence to Kazuhiro Tanaka.

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Tanaka, K., Watanabe, M. Transmission of ice-nucleating active bacteria from a prey reduces cold hardiness of a predator (Araneae: Theridiidae). Naturwissenschaften 90, 449–451 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-003-0463-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-003-0463-y

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