Figure 3.
Likelihood and time of attack on first-instar thrips F. occidentalis by thrips-naïve and thrips-experienced N. californicus females. Thrips experience was established by housing groups of 10 predators in their larval stage in the presence (for thrips-experienced) or absence (for thrips-naïve) of thrips prey. After moulting to protonymphs, both thrips-naïve and thrips-experienced predators were transferred to new cages and fed with mixed stages of spider mites until they reached adulthood. Mated predator females were singly caged with four living first-instar thrips and the cages monitored for the occurrence and time of the first successful attack on thrips.