DOI: 10.5061/dryad.4xgxd25nn
title: Identification of potential western bean cutworm (<em>Striacosta albicosta</em>) predators in field corn through molecular gut-content analysis

description: Western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith; Lepidoptera:
 Noctuidae), is a major pest of corn and dry beans in its historic and
 expanded ranges in the North American western Great Plains and Great Lakes
 Region, respectively. In corn, S. albicosta ear feeding damage can
 significantly reduce yield and introduce avenues for secondary fungal
 infections. Management practices currently rely on transgenic crops
 expressing effective Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protein, of which only
 the VIP3A protein is effective against S. albicosta, and/or
 labor-intensive scouting and chemical control. However, limited research
 on biological control options for this critical pest has been conducted.
 This study identifies key trophic interactions between S. albicosta and
 predatory arthropods in corn fields. Field surveys identified a community
 of 21 predator taxa present in Nebraska corn fields where S. albicosta
 eggs and larvae were present. The most common taxa were: Hippodamia
 convergens (Guérin-Méneville; Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Coleomegilla
 maculata (De Geer; Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Orius insidiosus (Say;
 Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), and green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae).
 Additionally, molecular gut-content analysis via PCR confirmed the
 predation of S. albicosta by several well-known biological control agents,
 including H. convergens, O. insidiosus, C. maculata, Chrysopidae larvae
 and adults, and others. Coleomegilla maculata consumed more S. albicosta
 eggs and larvae than H. convergens in feeding trials, although egg
 consumption by C. maculata was unaffected by the presence of corn pollen,
 an important supplemental food for this species. Exploring the trophic
 interactions between S. albicosta and its predators will provide
 information necessary to improve conservation biological control for S.
 albicosta integrated pest management.
description: # Identification of potential western bean cutworm (*Striacosta
 albicosta*) predators in field corn through molecular gut-content analysis
 Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.4xgxd25nn](10.5061/dryad.4xgxd25nn) ##
 Description of the data and file structure In this study, we seek to
 identify predation on *Striacosta albicosta* in field corn to quantify
 what predators contribute to conservation biological control ecosystem
 services. Predatory populations were surveyed in field corn to determine
 their diversity, abundance, and population dynamics during periods of *S.
 albicosta* infestation. The frequency of predation was determined through
 molecular gut-content analysis by using a newly designed species-specific
 primer set to detect *S. albicosta* DNA. ### Files and variables ####
 File: Westen\_for\_Dryad\_(5-29-25).xlsx **Description:** Results from
 molecular gut-content analysis ##### Variables * Sample # = a number
 assigned consecutively to every arthropod sample collected for this study.
 This would be of value to identify the physical samples of DNA extractions
 stored in our lab. * Date = the date on which the arthropod was collected
 from the corn field. * Year = the year in which the arthropod was
 collected from the corn field. * Identification = the taxonomic category
 to which the arthropod has been identified. * PCR result (0=neg; 1=pos) =
 the result of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis using a
 species-specific primer pair to detect the presence of Striacosta
 albicosta DNA. A zero (0) indicates a negative result (no band appearing
 in gel electrophoresis) and a one (1) indicates a positive result (the
 appearance of a band of the correct basepair length in gel
 electrophoresis). ## Code/software This data was uploaded as a Microsoft
 Excel file. ## Access information Other publicly accessible locations of
 the data: * The full data set is not publicly available elsewhere. Data
 was derived from the following sources: * The thesis of Mr. Westen
 Archibald (note the addition of erratum material):
 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/entomologydiss/49/