Biology Weekly Seminar - Vava Grbic

Plant-herbivore interactions: a case of an extreme generalist, the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae

Vava Grbic’s group uses the two spotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae (Koch) as an example of a generalist herbivore, as this chelicerate pest has a staggering number of plant hosts. A high-quality genome sequence and developing genetic tools, coupled with an ease of mite experimental selection to new hosts, make TSSM an outstanding system to study the evolution of host range, mechanisms of pest xenobiotic resistance and plant-herbivore interactions.