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Paula DP, Andow DA. DNA High-Throughput Sequencing for Arthropod Gut Content Analysis to Evaluate Effectiveness and Safety of Biological Control Agents. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:302-332. [PMID: 36478343 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-022-01011-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The search for effective biological control agents without harmful non-target effects has been constrained by the use of impractical (field direct observation) or imprecise (cage experiments) methods. While advances in the DNA sequencing methods, more specifically the development of high-throughput sequencing (HTS), have been quickly incorporated in biodiversity surveys, they have been slow to be adopted to determine arthropod prey range, predation rate and food web structure, and critical information to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a biological control agent candidate. The lack of knowledge on how HTS methods could be applied by ecological entomologists constitutes part of the problem, although the lack of expertise and the high cost of the analysis also are important limiting factors. In this review, we describe how the latest HTS methods of metabarcoding and Lazaro, a method to identify prey by mapping unassembled shotgun reads, can serve biological control research, showing both their power and limitations. We explain how they work to determine prey range and also how their data can be used to estimate predation rates and subsequently be translated into food webs of natural enemy and prey populations helping to elucidate their role in the community. We present a brief history of prey detection through molecular gut content analysis and also the attempts to develop a more precise formula to estimate predation rates, a problem that still remains. We focused on arthropods in agricultural ecosystems, but most of what is covered here can be applied to natural systems and non-arthropod biological control candidates as well.
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Andow DA, Paula DP. Estimating predation rates from molecular gut content analysis. Mol Ecol Resour 2023. [PMID: 36786544 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Several methods have been published to estimate per capita predation rates from molecular gut content analysis relying on intuitive understanding of predation, but none have been formally derived. We provide a theoretical framework for estimating predation rates to identify an accurate method and lay bare its assumptions. Per capita predation can be estimated by multiplying the prey decay rate and the prey quantity in the predators. This assumes that variation in per capita predation rate is approximately normally distributed, prey decay occurs exponentially, and predation is in steady state. We described several ways to estimate steady state predation, including using only qualitative presence-absence data to estimate the decay rate and in addition, we provided a method for estimating per capita predation rate when predation is not in steady state. We used previously published data on aphid consumption by a ladybird beetle in a feeding trial to calculate the predation rate and compare published methods with this theoretically derived method. The estimated predation rate (3.29 ± 0.27 aphids/h) using our derived method was not significantly different from the actual predation rate, 3.11 aphids/h. In contrast, previously published methods were less accurate, underestimating the predation rate (0.33 ± 0.02 to 1.66 ± 0.8 aphids/h) or overestimating it (3.64 ± 0.30 aphids/h). In summary, we provide methods to estimate predation rates even when variation in predation rates is not exactly normally distributed and not in steady state and demonstrate that the prey decay rate, and not the prey detection period, is required.
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3
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Potapov AM, Beaulieu F, Birkhofer K, Bluhm SL, Degtyarev MI, Devetter M, Goncharov AA, Gongalsky KB, Klarner B, Korobushkin DI, Liebke DF, Maraun M, Mc Donnell RJ, Pollierer MM, Schaefer I, Shrubovych J, Semenyuk II, Sendra A, Tuma J, Tůmová M, Vassilieva AB, Chen T, Geisen S, Schmidt O, Tiunov AV, Scheu S. Feeding habits and multifunctional classification of soil‐associated consumers from protists to vertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1057-1117. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anton M. Potapov
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Frédéric Beaulieu
- Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada Ottawa ON K1A 0C6 Canada
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology Brandenburg University of Technology Karl‐Wachsmann‐Allee 6 03046 Cottbus Germany
| | - Sarah L. Bluhm
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Maxim I. Degtyarev
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Miloslav Devetter
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Anton A. Goncharov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Konstantin B. Gongalsky
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Bernhard Klarner
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Daniil I. Korobushkin
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Dana F. Liebke
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Mark Maraun
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Rory J. Mc Donnell
- Department of Crop and Soil Science Oregon State University Corvallis OR 97331 U.S.A
| | - Melanie M. Pollierer
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Ina Schaefer
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Julia Shrubovych
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals PAS Slawkowska 17 Pl 31‐016 Krakow Poland
- State Museum Natural History of NAS of Ukraine Teatralna 18 79008 Lviv Ukraine
| | - Irina I. Semenyuk
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
- Joint Russian‐Vietnamese Tropical Center №3 Street 3 Thang 2, Q10 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
| | - Alberto Sendra
- Colecciones Entomológicas Torres‐Sala, Servei de Patrimoni Històric, Ajuntament de València València Spain
- Departament de Didàctica de les Cièncias Experimentals i Socials, Facultat de Magisteri Universitat de València València Spain
| | - Jiri Tuma
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Entomology Branisovska 1160/31 370 05 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - Michala Tůmová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Anna B. Vassilieva
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Ting‐Wen Chen
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology Na Sádkách 702/7 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Stefan Geisen
- Department of Nematology Wageningen University & Research 6700ES Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Olaf Schmidt
- UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science University College Dublin Belfield Dublin 4 Ireland
| | - Alexei V. Tiunov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences Leninsky Prospect 33 119071 Moscow Russia
| | - Stefan Scheu
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Untere Karspüle 2 37073 Göttingen Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use Büsgenweg 1 37077 Göttingen Germany
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Pollen Feeding Reduces Predation of Northern Corn Rootworm Eggs (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Diabrotica barberi) by a Soil-Dwelling Mite (Acari: Laelapidae: Stratiolaelaps scimitus). INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12110979. [PMID: 34821780 PMCID: PMC8619414 DOI: 10.3390/insects12110979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Flowering plants are used to enhance pest control by predators and parasitoids, but insect herbivores can also use floral resources. We documented the species of adult rootworm beetles on key plants, and found that northern corn rootworm (NCR) adults were commonly associated with sunflower inflorescences while western corn rootworm adults were most abundant in corn and on squash blossoms. Consumption of sunflower and corn pollen by NCR adults did not impact predation of their eggs by an omnivorous mite, but a predatory soil-dwelling mite ate pest eggs less frequently and took longer to feed on eggs when NCR adults had fed on sunflower pollen. While increasing plant diversity can benefit natural enemies and pest control within agroecosystems, it is important to consider how floral resources alter dietary preferences of biocontrol agents. Abstract Landscape diversification with flowering plants can benefit pollinators and natural enemies, although insect pests can also use floral resources for nutrition and chemoprotection. Corn rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Diabrotica spp.) are major pests of corn (Zea mays L.), and while subterranean larvae primarily feed on corn roots, adult rootworms commonly consume floral resources from other plant species. We quantified the species, density, and sex of adult corn Diabroticite rootworm beetles on wild and cultivated sunflower, corn, and squash, quantified pollen within the bodies of adult northern corn rootworms [NCR, D. barberi (Smith & Lawrence)], and investigated how consumption of sunflower and corn pollen by NCR adults impacted predation of their eggs by two soil-dwelling mites with different feeding specialization. NCR were the most common Diabroticite species on sunflower inflorescences and western corn rootworm (WCR, D. v. virgifera LeConte) were more abundant in corn and squash blossoms. Pollen feeding by NCR adults did not impact egg predation by omnivorous Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (Acari: Sarcoptiformes, Acaridae), but predatory Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Womersley) (Acari: Mesostigmata, Laelapidae) ate eggs less frequently and took longer to feed on eggs from NCR females that had fed on sunflower pollen. This research suggests pollen feeding by adult NCR can impact predation of their eggs. While increasing plant diversity can benefit natural enemies and pest control within agroecosystems, it is important to consider how floral resources alter dietary preferences of biocontrol agents.
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Ali KA, Willenborg CJ. The biology of seed discrimination and its role in shaping the foraging ecology of carabids: A review. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:13702-13722. [PMID: 34707812 PMCID: PMC8525183 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Species of carabid (ground) beetles are among the most important postdispersal weed seed predators in temperate arable lands. Field studies have shown that carabid beetles can remove upwards of 65%-90% of specific weed seeds shed in arable fields each year. Such data do not explain how and why carabid predators go after weed seeds, however. It remains to be proven that weed seed predation by carabids is a genuine ecological interaction driven by certain ecological factors or functional traits that determine interaction strength and power predation dynamics, bringing about therefore a natural regulation of weed populations. Along these lines, this review ties together the lines of evidence around weed seed predation by carabid predators. Chemoperception rather than vision seems to be the primary sensory mechanism guiding seed detection and seed selection decisions in carabid weed seed predators. Selection of weed seeds by carabid seed predators appears directed rather than random. Yet, the nature of the chemical cues mediating detection of different seed species and identification of the suitable seed type among them remains unknown. Selection of certain types of weed seeds cannot be predicted based on seed chemistry per se in all cases, however. Rather, seed selection decisions are ruled by sophisticated behavioral mechanisms comprising the assessment of both chemical and physical characteristics of the seed. The ultimate selection of certain weed seed types is determined by how the chemical and physical properties of the seed match with the functional traits of the predator in terms of seed handling ability. Seed density, in addition to chemical and physical seed traits, is also an important factor that is likely to shape seed selection decisions in carabid weed seed predators. Carabid responses to seed density are rather complex as they are influenced not only by seed numbers but also by trait-based suitability ranks of the different seed types available in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaldoun A. Ali
- Plant Sciences DepartmentCollege of Agriculture and BioresourcesUniversity of SaskatchewanSaskatoonSKCanada
| | - Christian J. Willenborg
- Plant Sciences DepartmentCollege of Agriculture and BioresourcesUniversity of SaskatchewanSaskatoonSKCanada
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6
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Desurmont GA, Bon M, Kerdellant E, Guermache F, Pfingstl T, Tixier M. An integrative approach combining molecular analyses and experiments to investigate predation of insect eggs by a mite. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gaylord A. Desurmont
- EBCL USDA ARS Campus international de Baillarguet Montferrier sur lez 34980 France
| | - Marie‐Claude Bon
- EBCL USDA ARS Campus international de Baillarguet Montferrier sur lez 34980 France
| | - Elven Kerdellant
- EBCL USDA ARS Campus international de Baillarguet Montferrier sur lez 34980 France
| | - Fatiha Guermache
- EBCL USDA ARS Campus international de Baillarguet Montferrier sur lez 34980 France
| | - Tobias Pfingstl
- Department for Biodiversity and Evolution Institute of Zoology University of Graz 8010 Graz Austria
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Frei B, Guenay Y, Bohan DA, Traugott M, Wallinger C. Molecular analysis indicates high levels of carabid weed seed consumption in cereal fields across Central Europe. JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE 2019; 92:935-942. [PMID: 31178674 PMCID: PMC6528783 DOI: 10.1007/s10340-019-01109-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Carabid beetles are abundant in temperate agroecosystems and can play a pivotal role as biocontrol agents. While there is good knowledge regarding their effects on invertebrate pests in some systems, comparably little is known on the rate of seed feeding under field conditions. Molecular approaches are ideally suited for investigating carabid feeding interactions; to date, however, they have only been applied to animal prey. We sampled adult carabid beetles in organic cereal fields in three regions along a Central European transect. Regurgitates from populations of the three most common species, Poecilus cupreus, Pseudoophonus rufipes and Pterostichus melanarius, were screened for plant DNA, cereal aphids, collembolans and earthworms. The frequency of carabid individuals positive for plant DNA was high (> 70%) and independent of carabid species, sex, region and the time point of sampling. Detections for non-pest and pest prey were comparably lower, with 21.6% for collembolans, 18.1% for earthworms and 4.2% for aphids, respectively. Despite the prolonged detection period of plant DNA in carabid guts, as compared to animal prey, these first results suggest that weed seeds form an important part of the adult carabid diet. It would also lend support to the hypothesis that seed-feeding carabids are biocontrol agents of weeds, with effects of regulation on the weed seedbank that depend on behavioural and contextual factors including carabid species preferences for weed seed species, their life stage and tillage practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britta Frei
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Agroecologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comte, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Yasemin Guenay
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, IGF, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Technikerstraße 21a, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - David A. Bohan
- Agroecologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comte, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Michael Traugott
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Corinna Wallinger
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, IGF, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Technikerstraße 21a, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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8
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Sint D, Guenay Y, Mayer R, Traugott M, Wallinger C. The effect of plant identity and mixed feeding on the detection of seed DNA in regurgitates of carabid beetles. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:10834-10846. [PMID: 30519410 PMCID: PMC6262922 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Carabids are abundant in temperate agroecosystems and play a pivotal role as biocontrol agents for weed seed and pest regulation. While there is good knowledge regarding their effects on invertebrate pests, direct evidence for seed predation in the field is missing. Molecular approaches are ideally suited to investigate these feeding interactions; however, the effects of an omnivorous diet, which is characteristic for many carabid species, and seed identity on the detection success of seed DNA has not yet been investigated. In a series of feeding experiments, seeds of six different Central European weed species were fed to beetles of the species Pseudoophonus rufipes, to determine post-feeding seed DNA detection rates and how these are affected by plant identity, meal size, and chemical seed composition. Moreover, we investigated the effect of a mixed diet of seeds and mealworm on prey DNA detection. Four out of six seed species were detectable for up to five days after consumption, and seed species identity significantly affected post-feeding detection rates. Detectability was negatively influenced by protein content and seed mass, whereas oil content and meal size had a positive effect. The mixed diet led to both increased detection rates and post-feeding detection intervals of seed DNA. This suggests that mixed feeding leads to an enhancement of food detection intervals in carabid beetles and that seed identity, their chemical composition, and meal size can affect DNA detection of consumed seeds. These aspects and potential implications of this non-invasive approach are discussed as they can become highly relevant for interpreting field-derived data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Sint
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of EcologyUniversity of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
| | - Yasemin Guenay
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of EcologyUniversity of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, IGFAustrian Academy of SciencesInnsbruckAustria
| | - Rebecca Mayer
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of EcologyUniversity of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
| | - Michael Traugott
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of EcologyUniversity of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
| | - Corinna Wallinger
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, IGFAustrian Academy of SciencesInnsbruckAustria
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Buchanan AL, Hooks CRR. Influence of Winter Cover Crop Mulch on Arthropods in a Reduced Tillage Cucurbit System. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 47:292-299. [PMID: 29438476 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvy004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Winter cover crop mulches can diversify agricultural habitats and provide a range of benefits for crop production and pest management. Here we report the influence of strip tilled winter cover crop mulches on arthropod abundance in organic vegetable plots. Crookneck squash (Cucurbita pepo L.; Cucurbitales: Cucurbitaceae) was direct seeded into mowed and strip tilled barley (Hordeum vulgare L.; Poales: Poaceae), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.; Fabales: Fabaceae), a barley + crimson clover mixture, or a no-cover crop control. Arthropods on squash plants were assessed weekly using visual counts. Seed predation was assessed using weed seed arenas. In 2013, mixed species cover crops produced the most ground cover, fewest weeds, and largest squash plants, but herbivore and predator abundance were not correlated with any of those factors. In 2014, mixed species cover crops again produced the most ground cover and fewest weeds, but the largest squash plants were found in no-cover crop control plots, which also had the highest herbivore abundance per plant. Predator and herbivore abundance were positively correlated with squash plant size in 2014. There were no differences in seed predation across treatments. Differences in ground cover biomass and weed presence between the 2 yr may have contributed to differences in squash plant quality and subsequent herbivore abundance between seasons. Results suggest that arthropods on plants responded largely indirectly to cover crops through host plant quality. Results are interpreted in light of overall costs and benefits of cover cropping.
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10
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Boggie MA, Carleton SA, Collins DP, Vradenburg J, Sroka CJ. Using stable isotopes to estimate reliance on agricultural food subsidies and migration timing for a migratory bird. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Boggie
- Department of Biology; New Mexico State University; Las Cruces New Mexico 88003 USA
| | - Scott A. Carleton
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Migratory Bird Office, Region 2; Albuquerque New Mexico 87103 USA
| | - Daniel P. Collins
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Migratory Bird Office, Region 2; Albuquerque New Mexico 87103 USA
| | - John Vradenburg
- Kalamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex; Tulelake California 96134 USA
| | - Christopher J. Sroka
- Department of Economics, Applied Statistics, & International Business; College of Business; New Mexico State University; Las Cruces New Mexico 88003 USA
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11
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Tan EJ, Reid CAM, Symonds MRE, Jurado-Rivera JA, Elgar MA. The Role of Life-History and Ecology in the Evolution of Color Patterns in Australian Chrysomeline Beetles. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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12
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Roubinet E, Birkhofer K, Malsher G, Staudacher K, Ekbom B, Traugott M, Jonsson M. Diet of generalist predators reflects effects of cropping period and farming system on extra- and intraguild prey. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 27:1167-1177. [PMID: 28132400 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 12/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The suppression of agricultural pests by natural enemies, including generalist arthropod predators, is an economically important regulating ecosystem service. Besides pests, generalist predators may also consume non-pest extraguild and intraguild prey, which can affect their impact on pest populations. This may either reduce the impact of generalist predators on pest populations, because they are diverted from pest predation, or increase it, as it helps them survive periods of low pest availability. However, the availability of pest prey and alternative, non-pest prey can vary over the crop growing season and between farming systems, potentially affecting predator-prey interactions and the levels of biological control. We have limited information about how farming systems and environmental variation over the crop growing season influence predator diets. This limits our ability to predict the importance of generalist predators as natural enemies of agricultural pests. Here we utilize molecular gut content analyses to assess detection frequencies of extra- and intraguild prey DNA in generalist predator communities in replicated organically and conventionally managed cereal fields at two key periods of the cropping season for aphid biological control. This is done in order to understand how farming system, crop season, prey availability and predator community composition determine the composition of predator diets. Aphid pests and decomposers (springtails) were equally important prey for generalist predators early in the growing season. Later in the season, the importance of aphid prey increased with increasing aphid densities while springtail predation rates were positively correlated to abundance of this prey at both early and late crop growth stages. Intraguild predation was unidirectional: carabids fed on spiders, whereas spiders rarely fed on carabids. Carabids had higher detection frequencies for the two most common spider families in organically compared to conventionally managed fields. Our study documents that predation by generalist predator communities on aphid pests increases with pest numbers independently of their generally widespread consumption of alternative, non-pest prey. Therefore, conservation strategies in agricultural fields could promote biological control services by promoting high levels of alternative non-pest prey for generalist predator communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve Roubinet
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7044, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Biology, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 22362, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 6, 03046, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Gerard Malsher
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7044, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Staudacher
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Barbara Ekbom
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7044, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Michael Traugott
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mattias Jonsson
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7044, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
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Kamenova S, Bartley T, Bohan D, Boutain J, Colautti R, Domaizon I, Fontaine C, Lemainque A, Le Viol I, Mollot G, Perga ME, Ravigné V, Massol F. Invasions Toolkit. ADV ECOL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2016.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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14
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Welch KD, Lundgren JG. An exposure-based, ecology-driven framework for selection of indicator species for insecticide risk assessment. FOOD WEBS 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2016.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Lewis MT, Fleischer SJ, Roberts DC. Horticultural Production Systems Influence Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Distribution and Diversity in Cucurbits. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 45:559-569. [PMID: 26994134 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvw013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Commercial cucurbit production typically involves agriculturally intensive practices, with fields prepared using conventional tillage, plasticulture, and chemically based pest management. Conservation-based management options are limited. In this study, we consider two alternative strategies, strip tillage and the use of row covers. We compare their impact on the beneficial carabid beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) community in melons and squash, following conventional or organic systems, over two years. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that soil management system (strip tillage versus plasticulture) was the primary variable influencing carabid distribution; row cover was a less important factor. The response to soil management was species dependent. Some dominant species, such as Harpalus pensylvanicus DeGeer, demonstrated no preference for a particular soil treatment. For others, including the tiger beetle, Cicindela punctulata Olivier, and a slug predator, Chlaenius tricolor Dejean, activity-density was higher in strip-tillage production systems. Our analysis suggested that strip-tillage production systems support a richer, more diverse carabid community. These results demonstrate that even within intensive annual horticultural systems, production practices can play a critical role in shaping the beneficial arthropod community, potentially encouraging or limiting ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- M T Lewis
- 1Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, 4112 Plant Sciences Bldg., College Park, MD 20742
| | - S J Fleischer
- 3Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, 501 ASI Bldg., University Park, PA 16802 (; )
| | - D C Roberts
- 3Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, 501 ASI Bldg., University Park, PA 16802 (; )
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16
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Gomez-Polo P, Alomar O, Castañé C, Aznar-Fernández T, Lundgren JG, Piñol J, Agustí N. Understanding trophic interactions of Orius spp. (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) in lettuce crops by molecular methods. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2016; 72:272-9. [PMID: 25641943 DOI: 10.1002/ps.3989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Revised: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aphid Nasonovia ribisnigri (Mosley) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and the thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) are common pests in Mediterranean lettuce crops, where Orius spp. are common generalist predators. Predation by Orius spp. was studied in a lettuce plot by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR analyses using specific primers of both main pests. Also, high-throughput sequencing was used to have a wider approach of the diet of these predators in natural field conditions. RESULTS Molecular analyses indicated a higher predation on N. ribisnigri in spring and on F. occidentalis in summer. Predation on alternative prey, like Collembola, was also found in both seasons. Real-time PCR was more sensitive than conventional PCR in showing the target trophic links, whereas high-throughput sequencing revealed predation on other natural enemies - intraguild predation (IGP), showing other trophic interactions of Orius majusculus within the studied ecosystem. CONCLUSIONS This study gives important information about the trophic relationships present in Mediterranean lettuce crops in different periods of the year. The detected predation by Orius spp. on alternative prey, as well as on other natural enemies, should be further investigated to clarify whether it adds or detracts to the biological control of N. ribisnigri and F. occidentalis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jonathan G Lundgren
- USDA-ARS, North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Brookings, SD, USA
| | - Josep Piñol
- Universitat Autònoma Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- CREAF, Barcelona, Spain
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17
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Gomez-Polo P, Alomar O, Castañé C, Lundgren JG, Piñol J, Agustí N. Molecular assessment of predation by hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) in Mediterranean lettuce crops. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2015; 71:1219-27. [PMID: 25236922 DOI: 10.1002/ps.3910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Revised: 06/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/12/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are generalist predators of a great variety of pests. Nasonovia ribisnigri (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) are two common pests in Mediterranean lettuce crops, where they occur alongside alternative prey (e.g., Collembola). A semi-field experiment was conducted in an experimental lettuce plot where hoverfly predation on N. ribisnigri, F. occidentalis and Collembola was studied by conventional PCR and qPCR using specific primers, as well as by next-generation sequencing (NGS) in order to reveal other potential trophic interactions. RESULTS Trophic linkages between hoverflies and N. ribisnigri were the strongest both in spring and summer. F. occidentalis and Collembolans were also detected in both seasons, but with less frequency. qPCR detected a higher frequency of consumption than conventional PCR when both tests were run at optimal conditions. NGS analyses showed intraguild predation on other hoverfly species, as well as on anthocorids, spiders and even aphid parasitoids. CONCLUSIONS Conventional PCR and qPCR provided important insights into Mediterranean hoverfly species predation on target pest and non-pest prey. NGS gave a complementary approach revealing a broader diet of these predators within the studied ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Gomez-Polo
- Entomology, Institute for Research and Technology in Food and Agriculture (IRTA), Cabrils, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oscar Alomar
- Entomology, Institute for Research and Technology in Food and Agriculture (IRTA), Cabrils, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Castañé
- Entomology, Institute for Research and Technology in Food and Agriculture (IRTA), Cabrils, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jonathan G Lundgren
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, Brookings, SD 57006, USA
| | - Josep Piñol
- Universitat Autònoma Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nuria Agustí
- Entomology, Institute for Research and Technology in Food and Agriculture (IRTA), Cabrils, Barcelona, Spain
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18
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Furlong MJ. Knowing your enemies: Integrating molecular and ecological methods to assess the impact of arthropod predators on crop pests. INSECT SCIENCE 2015; 22:6-19. [PMID: 25081301 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The importance of natural enemies as the foundation of integrated pest management (IPM) is widely accepted, but few studies conduct the manipulative field experiments necessary to directly quantify their impact on pest populations in this context. This is particularly true for predators. Studying arthropod predator-prey interactions is inherently difficult: prey items are often completely consumed, individual predator-prey interactions are ephemeral (rendering their detection difficult) and the typically fluid or soft-bodied meals cannot be easily identified visually within predator guts. Serological techniques have long been used in arthropod predator gut-contents analysis, and current enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) are highly specific and sensitive. Recently, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods for gut-contents analysis have developed rapidly and they now dominate the diagnostic methods used for gut-contents analysis in field-based research. This work has identified trophic linkages within food webs, determined predator diet breadth and preference, demonstrated the importance of cannibalism and intraguild predation within and between certain taxa, and confirmed the benefits (predator persistence) and potential disadvantages (reduced feeding on pest species) of the availability of alternative nonpest prey. Despite considerable efforts to calibrate gut-contents assays, these methods remain qualitative. Available techniques for predator gut-contents analysis can provide rapid, accurate, cost-effective identification of predation events. As such, they perfectly compliment the ecological methods developed to directly assess predator impacts on prey populations but which are imperfect at identifying the key predators. These diagnostic methods for gut-contents analysis are underexploited in agricultural research and they are almost never applied in unison with the critical field experiments to measure predator impact. This paper stresses the need for a combined approach and suggests a framework that would make this possible, so that appropriate natural enemies can be targeted in conservation biological control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Furlong
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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19
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Lundgren JG, Fergen JK. Predator community structure and trophic linkage strength to a focal prey. Mol Ecol 2014; 23:3790-8. [PMID: 24612337 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2013] [Revised: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Predator abundance and community structure can affect the suppression of lower trophic levels, although studies of these interactions under field conditions are relatively few. We investigated how the frequency of consumption (measured using PCR-based gut content analysis) is affected by predator abundance, community diversity and evenness under realistic conditions. Soil arthropod communities in sixteen maize fields were measured (number of predators, diversity [Shannon H] and evenness [J]), and predator guts were searched for DNA of the focal subterranean herbivore, the corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera). Predator abundance and diversity were positively correlated with trophic linkage strength (the proportion positive for rootworm DNA), although the latter characteristic was not significantly so. The diversity and evenness of the predator community with chewing mouthparts were strongly correlated with their linkage strength to rootworms, whereas the linkage strength of fluid-feeding predators was unaffected by their community characteristics. Within this community, chewing predators are more affected by the rootworm's hemolymph defence. This research clearly shows that predator abundance and diversity influence the strength of a community's trophic linkage to a focal pest and that these community characteristics may be particularly important for less palatable or protected prey species. We also make the case for conserving diverse and abundant predator communities within agroecosystems as a form of pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan G Lundgren
- USDA-ARS, North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, 2923 Medary Avenue, Brookings, SD, 57006, USA
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20
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Schmidt JM, Barney SK, Williams MA, Bessin RT, Coolong TW, Harwood JD. Predator-prey trophic relationships in response to organic management practices. Mol Ecol 2014; 23:3777-89. [PMID: 24673741 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2013] [Revised: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A broad range of environmental conditions likely regulate predator-prey population dynamics and impact the structure of these communities. Central to understanding the interplay between predator and prey populations and their importance is characterizing the corresponding trophic interactions. Here, we use a well-documented molecular approach to examine the structure of the community of natural enemies preying upon the squash bug, Anasa tristis, a herbivorous cucurbit pest that severely hinders organic squash and pumpkin production in the United States. Primer pairs were designed to examine the effects of organic management practices on the strength of these trophic connections and link this metric to measures of the arthropod predator complex density and diversity within an experimental open-field context. Replicated plots of butternut squash were randomly assigned to three treatments and were sampled throughout a growing season. Row-cover treatments had significant negative effects on squash bug and predator communities. In total, 640 predators were tested for squash bug molecular gut-content, of which 11% were found to have preyed on squash bugs, but predation varied over the season between predator groups (coccinellids, geocorids, nabids, web-building spiders and hunting spiders). Through the linking of molecular gut-content analysis to changes in diversity and abundance, these data delineate the complexity of interaction pathways on a pest that limits the profitability of organic squash production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M Schmidt
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
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21
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Greenstone MH, Payton ME, Weber DC, Simmons AM. The detectability half-life in arthropod predator-prey research: what it is, why we need it, how to measure it, and how to use it. Mol Ecol 2013; 23:3799-813. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.12552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2013] [Revised: 09/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H. Greenstone
- U.S.D.A. - Agricultural Research Service; Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory; 10300 Baltimore Avenue Beltsville MD 20705 USA
| | - Mark E. Payton
- Department of Statistics; Oklahoma State University; 301 MSCS Building Stillwater OK 74078 USA
| | - Donald C. Weber
- U.S.D.A. - Agricultural Research Service; Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory; 10300 Baltimore Avenue Beltsville MD 20705 USA
| | - Alvin M. Simmons
- U.S.D.A. - Agricultural Research Service; U.S. Vegetable Laboratory; 2700 Savannah Highway Charleston SC 29414 USA
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22
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Campos-Herrera R, Ali JG, Diaz BM, Duncan LW. Analyzing spatial patterns linked to the ecology of herbivores and their natural enemies in the soil. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2013; 4:378. [PMID: 24137165 PMCID: PMC3786222 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2013.00378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Modern agricultural systems can benefit from the application of concepts and models from applied ecology. When understood, multitrophic interactions among plants, pests, diseases and their natural enemies can be exploited to increase crop production and reduce undesirable environmental impacts. Although the understanding of subterranean ecology is rudimentary compared to the perspective aboveground, technologies today vastly reduce traditional obstacles to studying cryptic communities. Here we emphasize advantages to integrating as much as possible the use of these methods in order to leverage the information gained from studying communities of soil organisms. PCR-based approaches to identify and quantify species (real time qPCR and next generation sequencing) greatly expand the ability to investigate food web interactions because there is less need for wide taxonomic expertise within research programs. Improved methods to capture and measure volatiles in the soil atmosphere in situ make it possible to detect and study chemical cues that are critical to communication across trophic levels. The application of SADIE to directly assess rather than infer spatial patterns in belowground agroecosystems has improved the ability to characterize relationships between organisms in space and time. We review selected methodology and use of these tools and describe some of the ways they were integrated to study soil food webs in Florida citrus orchards with the goal of developing new biocontrol approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Campos-Herrera
- Departamento de Contaminación Ambiental, Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasMadrid, Spain
- Entomology and Nematology Department, Citrus Research and Education Center, University of FloridaLake Alfred, FL, USA
| | - J. G. Ali
- Entomology and Nematology Department, Citrus Research and Education Center, University of FloridaLake Alfred, FL, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY, USA
| | - B. M. Diaz
- Departamento de Protección Vegetal, Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasMadrid, Spain
| | - L. W. Duncan
- Entomology and Nematology Department, Citrus Research and Education Center, University of FloridaLake Alfred, FL, USA
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23
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McCarthy JK, Didham RK, Brockerhoff EG, van Bysterveldt KA, Varsani A. High-resolution DNA melt-curve analysis for cost-effective mass screening of pairwise species interactions. Mol Ecol Resour 2013; 13:908-17. [PMID: 23875939 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 06/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ecological studies of pairwise interactions are constrained by the methods available for rapid species identification of the interacting organisms. The resolution of data required to characterize species interaction networks at multiple spatio-temporal scales can be intensive, and therefore laborious and costly to collect. We explore the utility of high-resolution DNA melt-curve analysis (HRM) as a rapid species identification method. An approach was developed to identify organisms at the pairwise interaction level, with particular application to cryptic species interactions that are traditionally difficult to study. Here, we selected a challenging application; to identify the presence/absence of pathogenic fungi (Sporothrix inflata, Ophiostoma nigrocarpum and Ophiostoma galeiforme) transported by bark beetle vectors (Hylastes ater and Hylurgus ligniperda). The technique was able to distinguish between different species of DNA within a single, pooled sample. In test applications, HRM was effective in the mass screening and identification of pathogenic fungal species carried by many individual bark beetle vectors (n = 455 beetles screened) across large geographic scales. For two of the fungal species, there was no difference in the frequency of association with either of their vectors, but for the third fungal species there was a shift in vector-pathogen associations across locations. This technique allows rapid, mass screening and characterization of species interactions at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional methods. It is anticipated that this method can be readily applied to explore other cryptic species interactions, or other studies requiring rapid generation of large data sets and/or high-throughput efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- James K McCarthy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.
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24
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Wang G, Wang X, Qiao F, Zhu Z, Cheng J. Development and preliminary application of a triplex real‐time polymerase chain reaction assay for evaluating predation on three planthoppers in a rice ecosystem. Mol Ecol Resour 2013; 13:811-9. [DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2012] [Revised: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 04/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Guang‐Hua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Ministry of Agriculture Institute of Insect Sciences Zhejiang University 310016 Hangzhou China
| | - Xue‐Qin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Ministry of Agriculture Institute of Insect Sciences Zhejiang University 310016 Hangzhou China
| | - Fei Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Ministry of Agriculture Institute of Insect Sciences Zhejiang University 310016 Hangzhou China
| | - Zeng‐Rong Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Ministry of Agriculture Institute of Insect Sciences Zhejiang University 310016 Hangzhou China
| | - Jia‐An Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Ministry of Agriculture Institute of Insect Sciences Zhejiang University 310016 Hangzhou China
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25
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Wang J, McLenachan PA, Biggs PJ, Winder LH, Schoenfeld BIK, Narayan VV, Phiri BJ, Lockhart PJ. Environmental bio-monitoring with high-throughput sequencing. Brief Bioinform 2013; 14:575-88. [DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbt032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
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26
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Firlej A, Doyon J, Harwood JD, Brodeur J. A multi-approach study to delineate interactions between carabid beetles and soybean aphids. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2013; 42:89-96. [PMID: 23339789 DOI: 10.1603/en11303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, has become the most important exotic pest of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, in North America. Given the significant yield losses that are reported, considerable effort has been expended to characterize the natural enemy community associated with this pest. Several indigenous and naturalized predators have been identified as potential biological control agents, and these include carabid beetles, an abundant and important family of aphid predators. The objectives of this study were to assess the incidence of field predation by Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger), the most common carabid species in Québec soybeans, using molecular gut-content analysis, and to quantify its impact on A. glycines populations through laboratory and field cage experiments. Throughout the growing season between 16.8% (during low aphid density) and 33.7% (at times of high aphid density) of P. melanarius tested positive for aphid DNA. Furthermore, although laboratory feeding trials confirmed that P. melanarius prey on A. glycines, short-term field cage experiments failed to demonstrate a significant reduction of A. glycines populations by carabid beetles. These results suggest a relatively weak interaction between P. melanarius and A. glycines when pest densities are high, but the high predation rate when aphid densities are particularly low suggests these natural enemies may function as important early-season predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle Firlej
- Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Université de Montréal, 4101 rue Sherbrooke est, Montréal, Québec H1X 2B2, Canada.
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27
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Traugott M, Kamenova S, Ruess L, Seeber J, Plantegenest M. Empirically Characterising Trophic Networks. ADV ECOL RES 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-420002-9.00003-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
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28
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Waldner T, Traugott M. DNA-based analysis of regurgitates: a noninvasive approach to examine the diet of invertebrate consumers. Mol Ecol Resour 2012; 12:669-75. [PMID: 22443278 DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2012.03135.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
DNA-based gut content analysis has become an important tool for unravelling feeding interactions in invertebrate communities under natural conditions. It usually implies killing of the consumer and extracting the DNA from its food, using either the whole animal or its dissected gut. This post-mortem approach, however, is not suitable for investigating the diet of rare or protected species and also prohibits tracking individual dietary preferences as each consumer can provide trophic information only once. Moreover, removing large numbers of consumers from a habitat for analysis might critically change population densities and affect species interactions. Here, we present DNA-based analysis of invertebrate regurgitates, a novel approach to overcome these limitations. Conducting feeding experiments where adult Poecilus cupreus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) were fed with larvae of Amphimallon solstitiale (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), we show that detection success in regurgitates compared to samples prepared from whole beetles was similar or significantly enhanced for small/medium and large prey DNA fragments, respectively. Prey DNA detection success remained high in regurgitates stored in ethanol for 21 months at room temperature prior to DNA extraction. We conclude that in those invertebrates where regurgitates can be obtained, examination of food DNA in regurgitates offers many advantages over conventional post-mortem gut content analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Waldner
- Mountain Agriculture Research Unit, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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29
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Greenstone MH, Weber DC, Coudron TA, Payton ME, Hu JS. Removing external DNA contamination from arthropod predators destined for molecular gut-content analysis. Mol Ecol Resour 2012; 12:464-9. [PMID: 22268594 DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2012.03112.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Ecological research requires large samples for statistical validity, typically hundreds or thousands of individuals, which are most efficiently gathered by mass-collecting techniques. For the study of interspecific interactions, molecular gut-content analysis enables detection of arthropod predation with minimal disruption of community interactions. Field experiments have demonstrated that standard mass-collection methods, such as sweep netting, vacuum sampling and foliage beating, sometimes lead to contamination of predators with nontarget DNA, thereby compromising resultant gut-content data. We deliberately contaminated immature Coleomegilla maculata and Podisus maculiventris that had been fed larvae of Leptinotarsa decemlineata by topically applying homogenate of the alternate prey Leptinotarsa juncta. We then attempted to remove contaminating DNA by washing in ethanol or bleach. A 40-min wash with end-over-end rotation in 80% EtOH did not reliably reduce external DNA contamination. Identical treatment with 2.5% commercial bleach removed most externally contaminating DNA without affecting the detectability of the target prey DNA in the gut. Use of this bleaching protocol, perhaps with minor modifications tailored to different predator-prey systems, should reliably eliminate external DNA contamination, thereby alleviating concerns about this possible source of cross-contamination for mass-collected arthropod predators destined for molecular gut-content analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H Greenstone
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
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30
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Pompanon F, Deagle BE, Symondson WOC, Brown DS, Jarman SN, Taberlet P. Who is eating what: diet assessment using next generation sequencing. Mol Ecol 2011; 21:1931-50. [PMID: 22171763 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05403.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 587] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The analysis of food webs and their dynamics facilitates understanding of the mechanistic processes behind community ecology and ecosystem functions. Having accurate techniques for determining dietary ranges and components is critical for this endeavour. While visual analyses and early molecular approaches are highly labour intensive and often lack resolution, recent DNA-based approaches potentially provide more accurate methods for dietary studies. A suite of approaches have been used based on the identification of consumed species by characterization of DNA present in gut or faecal samples. In one approach, a standardized DNA region (DNA barcode) is PCR amplified, amplicons are sequenced and then compared to a reference database for identification. Initially, this involved sequencing clones from PCR products, and studies were limited in scale because of the costs and effort required. The recent development of next generation sequencing (NGS) has made this approach much more powerful, by allowing the direct characterization of dozens of samples with several thousand sequences per PCR product, and has the potential to reveal many consumed species simultaneously (DNA metabarcoding). Continual improvement of NGS technologies, on-going decreases in costs and current massive expansion of reference databases make this approach promising. Here we review the power and pitfalls of NGS diet methods. We present the critical factors to take into account when choosing or designing a suitable barcode. Then, we consider both technical and analytical aspects of NGS diet studies. Finally, we discuss the validation of data accuracy including the viability of producing quantitative data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois Pompanon
- Université Grenoble 1, Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, CNRS, UMR 5553, Grenoble, France.
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31
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Gagnon AÈ, Heimpel GE, Brodeur J. The ubiquity of intraguild predation among predatory arthropods. PLoS One 2011; 6:e28061. [PMID: 22132211 PMCID: PMC3223230 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2011] [Accepted: 10/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraguild predation (IGP) occurs when one predator species attacks another predator species with which it competes for a shared prey species. Despite the apparent omnipresence of intraguild interactions in natural and managed ecosystems, very few studies have quantified rates of IGP in various taxa under field conditions. We used molecular analyses of gut contents to assess the nature and incidence of IGP among four species of coccinellid predators in soybean fields. Over half of the 368 predator individuals collected in soybean contained the DNA of other coccinellid species indicating that IGP was very common at our field site. Furthermore, 13.2% of the sampled individuals contained two and even three other coccinellid species in their gut. The interaction was reciprocal, as each of the four coccinellid species has the capacity to feed on the others. To our knowledge, this study represents the most convincing field evidence of a high prevalence of IGP among predatory arthropods. The finding has important implications for conservation biology and biological control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - George E. Heimpel
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St-Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Jacques Brodeur
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
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Prischmann DA, Knutson EM, Dashiell KE, Lundgren JG. Generalist-feeding subterranean mites as potential biological control agents of immature corn rootworms. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2011; 55:233-248. [PMID: 21598089 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-011-9468-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2010] [Accepted: 04/21/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Predatory mites are important components of subterranean food webs and may help regulate densities of agricultural pests, including western corn rootworms (Chrysomelidae: Diabrotica virgifera virgifera). Implementing conservation and/or classical biocontrol tactics could enhance densities of specialist or generalist predatory mites and lead to pest suppression, but first relevant mite species must be identified and their predatory capabilities evaluated. We conducted lab assays to quantify consumption of immature rootworms and oviposition rates of various mite species. Our study indicates that rootworms are a sub-optimal food source for the mite taxa tested. However, all mite species fed upon rootworms to some degree, although consumption by nematophagous Eviphis ostrinus was extremely low. Predators consumed more rootworm larvae than eggs, and mite size was correlated with prey consumption, with larger predators eating more prey. Four mite taxa (Gaeolaelaps sp., S. miles, Gl. americana, and G. aculeifer) had detrimental effects on survival of rootworm larvae, and the latter two species also had negative impacts on densities of pest eggs. Although it is unlikely that any of these mite species by itself has a major impact on rootworm control, the community of generalist soil-dwelling mites may play an important role in regulating immature rootworm populations in the field.
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Gagnon AÈ, Doyon J, Heimpel GE, Brodeur J. Prey DNA detection success following digestion by intraguild predators: influence of prey and predator species. Mol Ecol Resour 2011; 11:1022-32. [PMID: 21749673 DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2011.03047.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Intraguild predation (IGP) has been increasingly recognized as an important interaction in ecological systems over the past two decades, and remarkable insights have been gained into its nature and prevalence. We have developed a technique using molecular gut-content analysis to compare the rate of IGP between closely related species of coccinellid beetles (lady beetles or ladybirds), which had been previously known to prey upon one another. We first developed PCR primers for each of four lady beetle species: Harmonia axyridis, Coccinella septempunctata, Coleomegilla maculata and Propylea quatuordecimpunctata. We next determined the prey DNA detection success over time (DS(50) ) for each combination of interacting species following a meal. We found that DS(50) values varied greatly between predator-prey combinations, ranging from 5.2 to 19.3 h. As a result, general patterns of detection times based upon predator or prey species alone are not discernable. We used the DS(50) values to correct field data to demonstrate the importance of compensation for detection times that are specific to particular predator-prey combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- A-È Gagnon
- Département de phytologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
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Onstad DW, Mitchell PD, Hurley TM, Lundgren JG, Porter RP, Krupke CH, Spencer JL, DiFonzo CD, Baute TS, Hellmich RL, Buschman LL, Hutchison WD, Tooker JF. Seeds of change: corn seed mixtures for resistance management and integrated pest management. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2011; 104:343-352. [PMID: 21510178 DOI: 10.1603/ec10388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The use of mixtures of transgenic insecticidal seed and nontransgenic seed to provide an in-field refuge for susceptible insects in insect-resistance-management (IRM) plans has been considered for at least two decades. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has only recently authorized the practice. This commentary explores issues that regulators, industry, and other stakeholders should consider as the use of biotechnology increases and seed mixtures are implemented as a major tactic for IRM. We discuss how block refuges and seed mixtures in transgenic insecticidal corn, Zea mays L., production will influence integrated pest management (IPM) and the evolution of pest resistance. We conclude that seed mixtures will make pest monitoring more difficult and that seed mixtures may make IRM riskier because of larval behavior and greater adoption of insecticidal corn. Conversely, block refuges present a different suite of risks because of adult pest behavior and the lower compliance with IRM rules expected from farmers. It is likely that secondary pests not targeted by the insecticidal corn as well as natural enemies will respond differently to block refuges and seed mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Onstad
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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VIRANT-DOBERLET META, KING RANDREW, POLAJNAR JERNEJ, SYMONDSON WILLIAMOC. Molecular diagnostics reveal spiders that exploit prey vibrational signals used in sexual communication. Mol Ecol 2011; 20:2204-16. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05038.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Staudacher K, Wallinger C, Schallhart N, Traugott M. Detecting ingested plant DNA in soil-living insect larvae. SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY 2011; 43:346-350. [PMID: 21317975 PMCID: PMC3021716 DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2010] [Revised: 10/26/2010] [Accepted: 10/28/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Although a significant proportion of plant tissue is located in roots and other below-ground parts of plants, little is known on the dietary choices of root-feeding insects. This is caused by a lack of adequate methodology which would allow tracking below-ground trophic interactions between insects and plants. Here, we present a DNA-based approach to examine this relationship. Feeding experiments were established where either wheat (Triticum aestivum) or maize (Zea mays) was fed to Agriotes larvae (Coleoptera: Elateridae), allowing them to digest for up to 72 h. Due to the very small amount of plant tissue ingested (max = 6.76 mg), DNA extraction procedures and the sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) had to be optimized. Whole-body DNA extracts of larvae were tested for the presence of both rbcL and trnL plastid DNA using universal primers. Moreover, based on cpDNA sequences encoding chloroplast tRNA for leucine (trnL), specific primers for maize and wheat were developed. With both, general and specific primers, plant DNA was detectable in the guts of Agriotes larvae for up to 72 h post-feeding, the maximum time of digestion in these experiments. No significant effect of time since feeding on plant DNA detection success was observed, except for the specific primers in maize-fed larvae. Here, plant DNA detection was negatively correlated with the duration of digestion. Both, meal size and initial mass of the individual larvae did not affect the rate of larvae testing positive for plant DNA. The outcomes of this study represent a first step towards a specific analysis of the dietary choices of soil-living herbivores to further increase our understanding of animal-plant feeding interactions in the soil.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Corinna Wallinger
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +43 (0) 512 507 5687; fax: +43 (0) 512 507 6190.
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Eitzinger B, Traugott M. Which prey sustains cold-adapted invertebrate generalist predators in arable land? Examining prey choices by molecular gut-content analysis. J Appl Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01947.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Lundgren JG, Fergen JK. The effects of a winter cover crop on Diabrotica virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) populations and beneficial arthropod communities in no-till maize. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2010; 39:1816-1828. [PMID: 22182547 DOI: 10.1603/en10041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The effects of an autumn-planted, spring-killed, grass cover crop (Elymus trachycaulus [Link] Gould ex Shinners) on populations of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte and its predator community were evaluated in South Dakota maize fields over two seasons. Abundance and size of D. virgifera larvae and adults and sex ratio of adults were measured in maize produced under two treatments (i.e., a winter cover crop or bare soil), as were maize root damage and the abundance and diversity of the predator communities collected on the soil surface and in the soil column. First and second instars and adults of D. virgifera were similarly abundant in the two treatments, but third instars were significantly fewer in maize planted after a winter cover crop. Larvae developed at different rates in the two treatments, and second instars were significantly smaller (head capsule width and body length) in the maize planted after a cover crop. First and third instars and adults were of similar size in the two treatments, and adult sex ratios were also similar. Although initially similar, predator populations increased steadily in the cover-cropped maize, which led to a significantly greater predator population by the time D. virgifera pupated. There was significantly less root damage in the cover-cropped maize. Predator communities were similarly diverse in both treatments. Predator abundance per plot was significantly and negatively correlated with the abundance of third instars per plot. Clearly, winter cover crops reduce D. virgifera performance and their damage to the crop, and we suspect that this reduction is caused by both environmental effects of the treatment on D. virgifera size and development, and of increased predation on the third instars of the pest. Additional data on the impact of cover crops on actual predation levels, grain yield and quality, and farmer profitability, and correlations among pest performance, crop characteristics, and predator populations and behaviors are key components of this system that remain to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan G Lundgren
- USDA-ARS, North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, 2923 Medary Avenue, Brookings, SD, USA.
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Greenstone MH, Weber DC, Coudron TC, Payton ME. Unnecessary roughness? Testing the hypothesis that predators destined for molecular gut-content analysis must be hand-collected to avoid cross-contamination. Mol Ecol Resour 2010; 11:286-93. [PMID: 21429135 DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2010.02922.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Molecular gut-content analysis enables detection of arthropod predation with minimal disruption of ecosystem processes. Mass-collection methods, such as sweep-netting, vacuum sampling and foliage beating, could lead to regurgitation or rupturing of predators along with uneaten prey, thereby contaminating specimens and compromising resultant gut-content data. Proponents of this 'cross-contamination hypothesis' advocate hand-collection as the best way to avoid cross-contamination. However, hand-collection is inefficient when large samples are needed, as with most ecological research. We tested the cross-contamination hypothesis by setting out onto potato plants immature Coleomegilla maculata and Podisus maculiventris that had been fed larvae of either Leptinotarsa decemlineata or Leptinotarsa juncta, or unfed individuals of these predator species along with L. decemlineata larvae. The animals were then immediately re-collected, either by knocking them vigorously off the plants onto a beat cloth and capturing them en masse with an aspirator ('rough' treatment) or by hand-searching and collection with a brush ('best practice'). Collected predators were transferred in the field to individual vials of chilled ethanol and subsequently assayed by PCR for fragments of cytochrome oxidase I of L. decemlineata and L. juncta. Ten to 39 per cent of re-collected fed predators tested positive by PCR for DNA of both Leptinotarsa species, and 14-38% of re-collected unfed predators contained L. decemlineata DNA. Overall levels of cross-contamination in the rough (31%) and best-practice (11%) samples were statistically different and supported the cross-contamination hypothesis. A pilot study on eliminating external DNA contamination with bleach prior to DNA extraction and amplification gave promising results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H Greenstone
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
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CHAPMAN ERICG, ROMERO SUSANA, HARWOOD JAMESD. Maximizing collection and minimizing risk: does vacuum suction sampling increase the likelihood for misinterpretation of food web connections? Mol Ecol Resour 2010; 10:1023-33. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2010.02857.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- ERIC G. CHAPMAN
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington KY 40546‐0091, USA
| | - SUSAN A. ROMERO
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington KY 40546‐0091, USA
| | - JAMES D. HARWOOD
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S225 Agricultural Science Center North, Lexington KY 40546‐0091, USA
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Lundgren JG, Weber DC. Changes in digestive rate of a predatory beetle over its larval stage: implications for dietary breadth. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2010; 56:431-437. [PMID: 19951709 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2009.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2009] [Revised: 11/23/2009] [Accepted: 11/24/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Prey and non-prey foods differ substantially in their suitability for zoophytophagous omnivores, but the relative quality of these foods depends on the stage-specific digestive capabilities of the organism in question. Quantitative (or real-time) PCR was used to amplify food-specific DNA and measure consumption rates and digestion efficiencies of four foods - two prey (Aphis glycines and Leptinotarsa decemlineata eggs) and two non-prey (Zea mays pollen and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae) species - over different larval stages of Coleomegilla maculata. The amount of Z. mays pollen consumed increased as larvae aged, but not proportionately with larval size, such that consumption rates decreased uniformly with insect age. While aging larvae fed A. glycines had a similar pattern in their diminishing consumption rates, they consumed similar amounts of A. glycines regardless of age, suggesting a negative feedback mechanism for consumption of this species of aphids. Older larvae digested three of the four foods significantly more efficiently than younger larvae, the exception being larvae fed A. glycines which was digested at a similar rate throughout the larval stage. There was a significant effect of time on food quantity detected for all four species of food. We conclude that C. maculata expands its physiological capacity for digesting prey and non-prey foods as they age in order to better accommodate the increased nutritional needs of the older larvae. This strategy has important implications for the life history strategies of zoophytophagous insects and how they function within foods webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan G Lundgren
- USDA-ARS, North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, 2923 Medary Avenue, Brookings, SD, USA.
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