NEW APPROACH TO MARK INSECTS FOR FEEDING AND DISPERSAL STUDIES

This study examines the feasibility of marking Lygus hesperus Knight adults externally by submersion in rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG) solution. Rabbit IgG retention time was measured in the laboratory on insects submerged in an IgG solution. We marked insects with rabbit IgG and ran an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with its complementary antibody (antirabbit IgG). We concurrently ran an ELISA assay using the same samples against an egg-specific L. hesperus monoclonal antibody (MAb) to measure the presence of L. hesperus egg antigen in the insect. A previously developed egg-specific MAb to L. hesperus enabled us to assay simultaneously adult females (which possess the egg antigen) and adult males for the presence of L. hesperus egg antigen. This combination of techniques will enable us to examine the gut contents of potential predators of L. hesperus eggs or adult females using whole body macerates while simultaneously evaluating the efficiency of lab-reared predators for augmentative biological control.