It has become clear that omnivorous predators can induce plant defences that affect the performance and host plant choice of herbivores. They are also known to induce the production of plant volatiles that can affect the behaviour of herbivores searching for plants. These volatiles may also affect the searching behaviour of other predators, which was investigated here. The predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis preferred plants previously exposed to the omnivorous mirid Macrolophus pygmaeus over clean plants. The mites were equally attracted to plants previously exposed to the omnivore and subsequently infested by spider mites (Tetranychus urticae, prey of the predatory mite and the omnivore) and plants infested with spider mites alone. Moreover, the mites were more attracted to plants infested with prey and subsequently exposed to the omnivore than plants infested with prey but not exposed to the omnivore. The predatory mites were also significantly more attracted to plants on which the omnivores were still present. Experience of the predatory mites with volatiles from plants previously exposed to the omnivore and without prey resulted in a loss of the preference for volatiles emitted by plants exposed to the omnivore. Analysis of the volatiles showed that plant exposure to omnivores induced qualitative and quantitative changes in the volatile blend. Together, these results suggest that omnivorous predators induce the production of plant volatiles that can interfere with the searching behaviour of other predators. The consequences of such interference for biological pest control remain to be investigated.

很明显，杂食性捕食者可以诱导植物防御，从而影响食草动物的表现和宿主植物的选择。还已知它们会诱导植物挥发物的产生，这些挥发物会影响草食动物寻找植物的行为。这些挥发物也可能影响其他捕食者的搜索行为，本文对此进行了调查。捕食性螨Phytoseiulus persimilis更喜欢以前接触过杂食性mirid Macrolophus pygmaeus的植物，而不是干净的植物。这些螨虫同样被先前暴露于杂食动物并随后被红蜘蛛（Tetranychus urticae ）侵染的植物所吸引。，捕食性螨虫和杂食动物的猎物）和仅被红蜘蛛感染的植物。此外，螨虫更容易被猎物侵染并随后接触杂食动物的植物所吸引，而不是被猎物侵扰但未接触杂食动物的植物。捕食性螨虫也更容易被杂食动物仍然存在的植物所吸引。捕食性螨虫与先前暴露于杂食动物且没有猎物的植物的挥发物的经验导致失去对暴露于杂食动物的植物释放的挥发物的偏好。对挥发物的分析表明，植物暴露于杂食动物会导致挥发物混合物发生质和量的变化。总之，这些结果表明杂食性捕食者会诱导植物挥发物的产生，从而干扰其他捕食者的搜索行为。这种干扰对生物害虫控制的后果仍有待调查。