RESUMEN
The aim of this research was to examine how particulate matter (PM) pollution affects the life history of the two-spotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae), in modelled urban conditions. For this purpose, experimental populations of TSSM were cultured on the foliage of small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata) contaminated with PM at intensities corresponding to differing city zones such as a park, a busy road and an industrial area. The control samples in the study were washed, unpolluted leaves. The spider mite was selected as a model organism due to its cosmopolitan distribution, broad host spectrum, resistance to a variety of pesticides and food-intake mode involving cell-content sucking, while T. cordata is widely planted in cities and has demonstrated a considerable capability for PM capture. Data on the longevity and mortality of particular instars and on female fecundity at different pollution levels were collected and statistically evaluated. Concentrations of PM typical for roads and industrial city zones significantly reduced total female fecundity (avg. 53.9 and 55.9 eggs/female, respectively, vs 79.2 in control), which entailed a slower population increase, while the survival rate of particular developmental instars (P = 0.52) and fertility curves (P = 0.19) remained unchanged. The presence of PM caused physiological effects in the mites, despite the lack of direct consumption of the pollutant by adult and juvenile instars. Considering the incomparable resilience of TSSM to unfavourable environmental factors, it is predicted that the detrimental influence of PM on other representatives of urban arthropods may be even more severe. The results suggest that there is a need for further investigations into the ecological ramifications of air purification provided by urban green spaces.
