Floodwater mosquitoes （Diptera： Culicidae） are associated with periodically flooded wet meadows, marshes, and swamps in floodplains of major rivers worldwide, and their larvae are abundant in the shallow parts of f...Floodwater mosquitoes （Diptera： Culicidae） are associated with periodically flooded wet meadows, marshes, and swamps in floodplains of major rivers worldwide, and their larvae are abundant in the shallow parts of flooded areas. The nuisance caused by the blood-seeking adult female mosquitoes motivates mosquito control. Larviciding with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis is considered the most environmentally safe method. However, some concern has been raised whether aquatic predatory insects could be indi- rectly affected by this reduction in a potential vital prey. Top predators in the temporary wetlands in the River Dal/ilven floodplains are diving beetles （Coleoptera： Dytiscidae）, and Aedes sticticus andAe, vexans are the target species for mosquito control. For detailed stud- ies on this aquatic predator-prey system, we developed a polymerase chain reaction （PCR） assay for detection of mosquito DNA in the guts of medinm-sized diving beetles. Primers were designed for amplifying short mitochondrial DNA fragments of the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I （COI） gene in Ae. sticticus and Ae. vexans, respectively. Primer speci- ficity was confirmed and half-life detectability ofAe. sticticus DNA in diving beetle guts was derived from a feeding and digestion experiment. The Ae. sticticus DNA within diving beetle guts was detected up to 12 h postfeeding, and half-life detectability was estimated to 5.6 h. In addition, field caught diving beetles were screened for Ae. sticticus and Ae. vexans DNA and in 14% of the diving beetles one or both mosquito species were detected, showing that these mosquito species are utilized as food by the diving beetles.展开更多
文摘Floodwater mosquitoes （Diptera： Culicidae） are associated with periodically flooded wet meadows, marshes, and swamps in floodplains of major rivers worldwide, and their larvae are abundant in the shallow parts of flooded areas. The nuisance caused by the blood-seeking adult female mosquitoes motivates mosquito control. Larviciding with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis is considered the most environmentally safe method. However, some concern has been raised whether aquatic predatory insects could be indi- rectly affected by this reduction in a potential vital prey. Top predators in the temporary wetlands in the River Dal/ilven floodplains are diving beetles （Coleoptera： Dytiscidae）, and Aedes sticticus andAe, vexans are the target species for mosquito control. For detailed stud- ies on this aquatic predator-prey system, we developed a polymerase chain reaction （PCR） assay for detection of mosquito DNA in the guts of medinm-sized diving beetles. Primers were designed for amplifying short mitochondrial DNA fragments of the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I （COI） gene in Ae. sticticus and Ae. vexans, respectively. Primer speci- ficity was confirmed and half-life detectability ofAe. sticticus DNA in diving beetle guts was derived from a feeding and digestion experiment. The Ae. sticticus DNA within diving beetle guts was detected up to 12 h postfeeding, and half-life detectability was estimated to 5.6 h. In addition, field caught diving beetles were screened for Ae. sticticus and Ae. vexans DNA and in 14% of the diving beetles one or both mosquito species were detected, showing that these mosquito species are utilized as food by the diving beetles.
