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Mites are very small animals, characterized by wingless and eyeless bodies, in which sociality has been discovered. This book offers detailed descriptions of the diverse social systems and the social evolution of mites, ranging from genetic to ecological aspects. Through a broad spectrum of studies including traditional natural history, taxonomy, modern evolutionary and behavioral ecology, and theoretical models as well, the book addresses a number of important findings on plant mite evolution and species radiation, with the author succeeding in combining theoretical and practical approaches in behavioral ecology by proposing a new game theory. These findings reflect the complex evolutionary history of these taxa and also help to point out clearly what is known and what is not yet known to date. Mites have been considered a minor animal group, but the author shows that mites actually possess great diversity and therefore make unique materials for evolutionary and behavioral studies.

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1 What Are Mites?
1.1 Brief Systematic Overview of Acari
1.2 Peculiarities of Mites for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies
2 Plant Mites
2.1 Spider Mites and Plants
2.2 Life History and Host Plants
2.3 Life Type Diversity in Spider Mites
What Is a Life Type?
Supposed Function of LW and CW Life Types
2.4 Diversity of Physiological Adaptation in Spider Mites
Variation in Overwintering Stage
Diapause
2.5 Diversity of Plant Mites Other Than Spider Mites
Phytoseiids
Predators Other Than Phytoseiids
3 Diverse Microcosmos on Sasa
3.1 Diversity in Sasa-Inhabiting Mites
3.2 Is the Flattened Body an Antipredator Strategy?
3.3 Do Oviposition and Undergoing Quiescence on Tips of Leaf
Hairs Constitute Antipredatory Behaviors?
3.4 Do Compartment-Type Nests Have Antipredator Functions?
3.5 Woven Nests of Stigmaeopsis
What Is Stigmaeopsis?
Is Nest Size Variation a Refl ection of Antipredator Strategy?
Advantages of Small Nests
Additional Advantages of Small Nests
Why Are There Large Nest Builders?
Disruptive Selection on Nest Size?
A Further Question
3.6 Explanation of Diversity in Life Type and Life History Variation on Sasa
3.7 Other Variation in Spider Mites on Sasa
4 Mite Sociality
4.1 Diversity in Genetic System
4.2 Sexual Behavior
4.3 Sex Ratio
4.4 Sociality in Stigmaeopsis
4.5 Sociality in Spider Mites
4.6 Overview of Mite Sociality
4.7 Background of Social Evolution in Mites
5 Inbreeding Depression in Haplo-diploidy
6 Kin Selection
6.1 Variation in Male Aggressiveness Between Species
6.2 Variation in Male Aggressiveness Within a Species
6.3 Egoism and Cooperation
6.4 Two Groups Showing Different Levels of Male Aggressiveness
Why Are There Two Groups Showing Different Clinal Trends?
6.5 Sexual Selection
6.6 Theoretical Explanation of Male Aggression and Cooperation
Absolute Conditions for Cooperation
Mixed Strategy of Aggression and Cooperation
Fitting Practical Data to the Model
Thought Exercise
7 Is Basic Science the Father of Applied Science?
7.1 What Has Happened in Chinese Bamboo Forests?
Plausible Factors for Pest Outbreaks
Approaching a Factor 7.2 Simulation of One-Predator?Two-Prey Systems
7.3 Epilogue: Japanese Sato-yama
8 Further Research for Mite Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology

Afterword

Appendices
Appendix 1. Brief History of Reinstatement of Stigmaeopsis
Appendix 2. Model of Repeated Blind Sampling
Appendix 3. Calculation of Practical Parameters in Game Model
References
Index

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