Creating outbred and inbred populations in haplodiploids to measure adaptive responses in the laboratory.

Laboratory studies are often criticized for not being representative of processes occurring in natural populations. One reason for this is the fact that laboratory populations generally do not capture enough of the genetic variation of natural populations. This can be mitigated by mixing the genetic background of several field populations when creating laboratory populations.

Spider mites escape bacterial infection by avoiding contaminated food.

To fight infection, arthropods rely on the deployment of an innate immune response but also upon physical/chemical barriers and avoidance behaviours. However, most studies focus on immunity, with other defensive mechanisms being relatively overlooked. We have previously shown that the spider mite Tetranychus urticae does not mount an induced immune response towards systemic bacterial infections, entailing very high mortality rates.