An Immunomarking Technique for Labeling Minute Parasitoids

A laboratory study was conducted to examine the efficacy of a novel immunomarking technique on Anaphes iole Girault, a minute parasitoid of Lygus spp. eggs. Adult A. iole were marked with the readily available mammal protein, rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG), by 3 different application methods. Adult parasitoids were marked internally by feeding them a honey solution spiked with rabbit IgG and externally by contact exposure or topical mist. Marked individuals were then assayed using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the presence of the IgG marker using an antibody specific to rabbit IgG (antirabbit IgG developed in goat). Data indicate that the IgG marker was retained throughout the entire adult lifespan in almost (98.9%) every individual parasitoid assayed, regardless of the application method used. The advantages and limitations of using immunomarkers for mark-release-recapture studies involving minute insects are discussed.