The predatory mite Hypoaspis aculeifer is attracted to food of its fungivorous prey

To locate a prey a predator may rely on information originating from the ha bitat or the food of the prey, from the prey itself or its feeding activiti es. This study examines the origin of information used by the soil living p redatory mite Hypoaspis aculeifer (Canestrini) when foraging for a fungivor ous collembolan prey Folsamia f metaria (L.). Preference experiments were p erformed in Petri dishes, where the mite chose between fungal or agar cores with or without prey traces. The mite was attracted to fungi, but not to p rey-related cues or other cues induced by grazing of collembolans. This sug gests a foraging strategy of a generalist predator that mainly relies on fu ngal stimuli that lead to an area, where the probability of encountering fu ngivorous prey is high.