Chemical mimicry and sexual dimorphism in mites

Bulb mites show a dramatic male dimorphism, developing either into deadly fighters or harmless scramblers, raising the question of why the ill-equipped scramblers still persist in nature. This project explores whether scramblers escape aggression from fighter males by chemically mimicking females, using detailed analyses of their surface chemical profiles. By linking behaviour and chemistry, you will uncover the mechanisms that maintain these surprising alternative tactics.