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Behavioral Ecology Lab
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A lab that studies the diversity and evolution of behavior and ecology in mites and other arthropods.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring evolution and speciation through the behavior of mites.
The Behavioral Ecology and Evolutionary Ecology Lab studies the diversity and evolution of behavior and ecology in arthropods, mainly mites.
Using the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) and Stigmaeopsis spider mites, among others, the lab investigates behaviors such as male reproductive tactics and how mites excrete inside their nests.
The lab also conducts research on the processes by which new species arise, including reproductive isolation, in which closely related populations become unable to interbreed.
On the lab's website, it is presented under the name "Sato Lab."
Key terms
- Spider mite
- A small plant-feeding arthropod belonging to the family Tetranychidae, order Acari, class Arachnida. Some species are agricultural pests.
- Sneaker
- A type of male that avoids fights with rival males. The type that fights and guards the female is called a "fighter."
- Reproductive isolation
- A state in which populations can no longer interbreed. Populations that have diverged can no longer merge back into one.
NewsLab news
Paper on male reproductive tactics and responses to natural enemies in the two-spotted spider mite published
Paper on delayed hatching in a predatory mite published in Oecologia
Paper on the costs of paternal care in giant water bugs published in Ethology Ecology & Evolution
Paper on the ability of a predatory mite to deal with webs spun by an invasive spider mite published in BioControl
A master's student received both the Dean of the Degree Programs in Life and Earth Sciences Award and the Chair of the Degree Program in Biology Award
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to clarify how the behavior and ecology of small arthropods such as spider mites have diversified and evolved. It examines fighting among males, responses to natural enemies, life inside nests, and how difficult it is for populations to interbreed.
*Illustrative imageMale reproductive tactics and responses to natural enemies
Male two-spotted spider mites include fighters, which battle rivals, and sneakers, which avoid fights. When a predatory mite was brought near, sneakers were slower to flee than fighters, and almost all individuals that counterattacked were fighters.
*Illustrative imageWaste management in social spider mites
The lab studies the meaning of the "communal toilet" behavior in which Stigmaeopsis longus, which lives in groups, excretes at specific places in the nest. Experiments manipulating excretion sites showed that spatial management of waste is important for the survival of eggs, which cannot move.
*Illustrative imageReproductive isolation and hybridization among related spider mites
In Stigmaeopsis miscanthi, which has three types that differ in male aggressiveness, the lab examined at which stage hybridization is blocked. It showed that the stage at which mating occurs but fertilization does not has the strongest effect. The lab also investigates hybridization in contact zones in mountainous regions where two related species meet.
MembersFaculty
The Behavioral Ecology and Evolutionary Ecology Lab consists of faculty members and master's and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorYukie Sato
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Spinnmilbe Spider mite Tetranychidae Tetranichidi 1” 3d-erlebnis / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Male reproductive tactics and responses to natural enemies: “Red spider mite (Tetranychus urticae)” Aleksey Gnilenkov from Moscow, Russia / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Waste management in social spider mites: “Eriophyes pyri sur Sorbus torminalis” Jean.claude / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Reproductive isolation and hybridization among related spider mites: “Miscanthus field - geograph.org.uk - 643482” Ben Harris / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (神経
行動学・進化生物学 （石川 由希） ): “Insect predation” Polychronis Rempoulakis / CC BY 4.0 (cropped) - Related lab (進化ゲノミクス
（佐藤 大気） ): “Italian honeybee brood frame from Langstroth hive” Benlisquare / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) - Related lab (保全生態学研究室): “Pollinator - bumblebee and bee” Jakub Fryš / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (応用動物昆虫学
（藏滿 司夢） ): “Orussus abietinus (Hymenoptera- Orussidae) - a parasitic wood wasp ! ( )” gbohne from Berlin, Germany / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
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