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Title: AN ALTERNATIVE TO CONVENTIONAL INSECT MARKING PROCEDURES: DETECTION OF A PROTEIN MARK ON PINK BOLLWORM BY ELISA.

Author
item Hagler, James
item MILLER, ERNEST - APHIS PHOENIX, ARIZONA

Submitted to: Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/19/2002
Publication Date: 9/1/2002
Citation: HAGLER, J.R., MILLER, E. AN ALTERNATIVE TO CONVENTIONAL INSECT MARKING PROCEDURES:DETECTION OF A PROTEIN MARK ON PINK BOLLWORM BY ELISA.. ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA. 2002. pp. 1-9

Interpretive Summary: Studies to measure the dispersal characteristics of pink bollworm (PBW) frequently are conducted to determine dispersal patterns and behaviors. Several experiments were conducted to examine the feasibility of marking pink bollworm with a vertebrate protein (rabbit IgG) for mark-release- recapture (MRR) studies. Pink bollworm were internally marked by feeding larvae an enriched rabbit IgG diet or externally marked by submerging pupa and spraying adults. Individuals were then assayed for the presence of rabbit IgG by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using anti-rabbit IgG. The internal marker was retained in larvae and retained in prepupae and pupae, but not in adults. A second experiment showed that rabbit IgG was retained on adults that were externally marked as pupae. A third series of tests examined the feasibility of externally marking adults with rabbit IgG. Rabbit IgG was retained on externally marked adults for 6 6days in the field. Protein was retained on marked moths in the laboratory after they were captured on and removed from sticky traps. Finally, laboratory tests showed that large groups of externally marked moths transferred rabbit IgG to unmarked moths, but individual males do not readily transfer the protein to unmarked females in small vials.

Technical Abstract: Four experiments were conducted to examine the feasibility of marking pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) with rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG) protein for mark-release-recapture (MRR) studies. Pink bollworm were internally marked by feeding larvae an enriched rabbit IgG diet or externally marked by submerging pupae and spraying adults. Individuals were then assayed for the presence of rabbit IgG by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using anti-rabbit IgG. The internal marker was retained in larvae and retained in prepupae and pupae, but not in adults. A second experiment showed that rabbit IgG was retained on adults that were externally marked as pupae. A third series of tests examined the feasibility of externally marking adults with rabbit IgG. Rabbit IgG was retained on externally marked adults for 6 days in the field. Protein was retained on marked moths in the laboratory after they were captured on and removed from sticky traps. Finally, laboratory tests showed that large groups of externally marked moths transferred rabbit IgG to unmarked moths, but individual males do not readily transfer the protein to unmarked females in small vials.