WISER Molecular Method for Monitoring Greenhouse Pest Populations (2025)

Greenhouses are simplified habitats for communities of plant-associated insects and their natural enemies. The purpose of this ongoing study is to develop a standardized qPCR method for the rapid identification of greenhouse insect pests and the insects that control those populations. Integrative Pest Management Practices (IPM) have introduced beneficial insects to the greenhouse, but native beneficial insects are present seasonally. Insect specimens were collected over various seasons and vouchered in ethanol at -20°C. DNA was extracted from the vouchers via a Qiagen extraction kit. Extracted DNA was amplified via PCR, visualized through UV gel electrophoresis, and Sanger sequenced (Genewiz). The data collected from these sequences will be used to create qPCR primers for rapid identification of the insect species present in the greenhouse, as well as their predators and parasitoids, with implications in the future for using eDNA to estimate population sizes.