title: Quantitative analysis of diet structure by real-time PCR, reveals different feeding patterns by two dominant grasshopper species.
abstract: Studies on grasshopper diets have historically employed a range of methodologies, each with certain advantages and disadvantages. For example, some methodologies are qualitative instead of quantitative. Others require long experimental periods or examine population-level effects, only. In this study, we used real-time PCR to examine diets of individual grasshoppers. The method has the advantage of being both fast and quantitative. Using two grasshopper species, Oedaleus asiaticus and Dasyhippus barbipes, we designed ITS primer sequences for their three main host plants, Stipa krylovii, Leymus chinensis and Cleistogenes squarrosa and used real-time PCR method to test diet structure both qualitatively and quantitatively. The lowest detection efficiency of the three grass species was ~80% with a strong correlation between actual and PCR-measured food intake. We found that Oedaleus asiaticus maintained an unchanged diet structure across grasslands with different grass communities. By comparison, Dasyhippus barbipes changed its diet structure. These results revealed why O. asiaticus distribution is mainly confined to Stipa-dominated grassland, and D. barbipes is more widely distributed across Inner Mongolia. Overall, real-time PCR was shown to be a useful tool for investigating grasshopper diets, which in turn offers some insight into grasshopper distributions and improved pest management.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, P.R. China.|Scientific Observation and Experimental Station of Pests in Xilin Gol Rangeland, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xilinhot, 02600, P.R. China.
authors: Xunbing
authors: X
authors: Huang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, P.R. China.|Scientific Observation and Experimental Station of Pests in Xilin Gol Rangeland, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xilinhot, 02600, P.R. China.
authors: Huihui
authors: H
authors: Wu
authors: AgResearch, Lincoln Research Centre, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.
authors: Mark Richard
authors: MR
authors: McNeill
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, P.R. China.|Scientific Observation and Experimental Station of Pests in Xilin Gol Rangeland, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xilinhot, 02600, P.R. China.
authors: Xinghu
authors: X
authors: Qin
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, P.R. China.|Scientific Observation and Experimental Station of Pests in Xilin Gol Rangeland, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xilinhot, 02600, P.R. China.
authors: Jingchuan
authors: J
authors: Ma
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, P.R. China.|Scientific Observation and Experimental Station of Pests in Xilin Gol Rangeland, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xilinhot, 02600, P.R. China.
authors: Xiongbing
authors: X
authors: Tu
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, P.R. China.|Scientific Observation and Experimental Station of Pests in Xilin Gol Rangeland, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xilinhot, 02600, P.R. China.
authors: Guangchun
authors: G
authors: Cao
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, P.R. China.|Scientific Observation and Experimental Station of Pests in Xilin Gol Rangeland, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xilinhot, 02600, P.R. China.
authors: Guangjun
authors: G
authors: Wang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, P.R. China.|Scientific Observation and Experimental Station of Pests in Xilin Gol Rangeland, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xilinhot, 02600, P.R. China.
authors: Xiangqun
authors: X
authors: Nong
authors: State Key Laboratory of Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, P.R. China.|Scientific Observation and Experimental Station of Pests in Xilin Gol Rangeland, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xilinhot, 02600, P.R. China.
authors: Zehua
authors: Z
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006110:Grasshoppers / Q000502:physiology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction