Consuming alternative prey does not influence the DNA detectability half-life of pest prey in spider gut contents.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Key natural enemy-pest interactions can be mapped in agricultural food webs by analysing predator gut content for the presence of a focal pest species. For this, PCR-based approaches are the most widely used methods providing the incidence of consumption of a focal pest in field sampled predators. To interpret such data the rate of prey DNA decay in the predators' gut, described by DNA detectability half-life (t _1/2), is needed. DNA decay may depend on the presence of alternative prey in the gut of generalist predators, but this effect has not been investigated in one of the major predatory arthropod groups, spiders.

Methods

In a laboratory feeding experiment, we determined t _1/2 of the key cereal pest virus vector leafhopper

SUBMITTER: Fulop D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6814063 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature