Quantitative evaluation of predation based on molecular analysis of gut-content

doi:10.7679/j.issn.2095-1353.2020.01.025

Abstract

Abstract:

[Objectives] Protecting and enhancing natural predator communities is an effective strategy for pest suppression in farmland and understanding the trophic structures of predators and food webs in agroecosystems has become a key issue in biological control. [Methods] The peanut aphid COⅠ gene was used as a marker of peanut aphid predation by by the coccinellid Propylea japonica (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and PCR-based gut content analysis was used to measure predation by P. japonica on the peanut aphid. [Results] Incorporating molecular tools and field studies provided direct evidence of peanut aphid predation by P. japonica and allowed the consumption of this pest by P. japonica to be evaluated under realistic field conditions. [Conclusion] Molecular gut content analysis can help evaluate the trophic structure of natural predator food webs and thereby inform, and improve, pest control.

Key words: gut content, Propylea japonica, peanut aphid, biological control

Qian JU, Fang OUYANG, Fei QIAO, Feng GE. Quantitative evaluation of predation based on molecular analysis of gut-content[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Entomology, 2020, 57(1): 218-225.

Figures/Tables 5

Fig. 1 Quality verification of ladybug genome M: DNA marker (DL500); 1-20: Ladybug genome.

Fig. 2 Detection of predation of ladybug on peanut aphids M: DNA marker (DL500); 1-20: Ladybug genome.

Fig. 3 The fitted curve of peanut aphid DNA half-life experiments (Ju et al., 2019)

Table 1 Density of peanut aphid and predator in peanut/maize intercropping field and positive responses of peanut aphid DNA

调查日期（月-日） Date (month-day)	花生蚜数量（log/百株） Number of peanut aphid (log/100 plants)	龟纹瓢虫数量/m² Number of P. japonica/m²	阳性检出率（%） Proportion of positive (%)
6-20 20-June	0.34±0.19c	5.95±2.15a	10.94±6.44a
6-30 30-June	1.56±0.37b	4.20±1.41a	11.25±3.75a
7-10 10-July	3.04±0.50a	3.48±1.02a	26.25±7.72b

Fig. 4 The protocol of quantitative evaluation of the predation based on gut-content molecular analysis

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