›› 2017, Vol. 60 ›› Issue (6): 691-698.doi: 10.16380/j.kcxb.2017.06.009

• RESEARCH PAPERS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Influences of storage time and conditions on the DNA detection rates of aphids and parasitoids from empty aphid mummies

YAO Zhi-Wen1,2, YANG Fan2, WU Yue-Kun1,2, WEI Hong-Yi1,*, LU Yan-Hui2,*   

  1. (1. College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China; 2. State Key Laboratory of Biology for Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China)
  • Online:2017-06-20 Published:2017-06-20

Abstract: 【Aim】 This study aims to study the influences of storage time and conditions on the DNA detection rates of the common aphid species Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) and Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), the primary parasitoid Aphidius gifuensis (Ashmead) and the hyperparasitoid Pachyneuron aphidis (Bouché). 【Methods】 The empty aphid mummies were stored for different periods (4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 d after parasitoid emergence), soaked in water for 4 h or unsoaked and kept at different temperature (16, 24 and 32℃) and humidity (RH 40% and 80%) combinations. The samples were collected at different time and stored for DNA extraction. The extracted DNA from the empty aphid mummies were detected using the species-specific primers. 【Results】 The results showed that the DNA detection rates of both parasitoid species decreased gradually with the storage time. In the empty mummies collected 24 d after parasitoid emergence, the A. gifuensis DNA was detected from 66.7% of S. avenae mummies and 86.7% of S. graminum mummies, respectively, and the P. aphidis DNA was detected from 66.7% of both aphid mummies. The DNA detection rates of S. avenae and S. graminum aphids and A. gifuensis wasps among soaked/unsoaked treatments or other different temperature and relative humidity combination treatments were 76.7%-100% from the empty aphid mummies collected 24 d after parasitoid emergence. 【Conclusion】 The results verified the stability of parasitoid DNA residues in wheat aphid mummy shells and the feasibility of DNA detection technique for empty aphid mummies. This offers a more convenient method to explore the aphid-parasitoid interactions.

Key words: Sitobion avenae, Schizaphis graminum, Aphidius gifuensis, Pachyneuron aphidis, empty aphid mummy, DNA detection, storage time, storage conditions