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A rapid technique for analysing diets of invertebrate predators by electrophoresis
Author(s) -
MURRAY R. A.,
SOLOMON M.G.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1978.tb02603.x
Subject(s) - biology , panonychus ulmi , predation , predator , spider mite , esterase , mite , insect , larva , pest analysis , zoology , botany , ecology , enzyme , biochemistry
SUMMARY A technique has been developed for the rapid determination of some species of prey consumed by mites and insects. The method detects prey enzymes within the gut of a predator by polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis and subsequent staining for esterase activity. It is sufficiently sensitive to detect fruit tree red spider mite (Panonychus ulmi) esterases within the gut of a single predacious mite (Typhlodromus pyri) for at least 31 h after feeding. The method has been used to demonstrate feeding relationships among a range of insect and mite predator and prey species in the laboratory and in the field.