Exploring consumption by two generalist predators in potatoes using molecular gut content analysis and behavioral studies

Molecular gut-content analysis is an established and increasingly important approach for tracking arthropod predation in the field. Previously, it is difficult to know what hemipteran generalist predators consume because there are no pieces of prey in their gut that could be identified following dissection. However, DNA of the prey item is present in a predator's gut for a certain amount of time. In order to relate the proportion of predator individuals found to contain pest DNA to the number of pests eaten over a given time period, it is necessary to determine how long pest DNA can be detected after predation has occurred. Studies were done to explore consumption of Geocoris and Nabis with green peach aphids and Colorado potato beetles.