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Solid-phase microextraction-based cuticular hydrocarbon profiling for intraspecific delimitation in Acyrthosiphon
Nan Chen1, Yu Bai1, Yong-Liang Fan1
1State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, and Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
Plos One
|September 1, 2017
Summary
Cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles can distinguish insect populations within species. This study developed a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method to analyze CHCs for insect chemotaxonomy, successfully delimiting aphid populations.
Area of Science:
- Insect Ecology
- Chemical Ecology
- Chemotaxonomy
Background:
- Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are vital for water retention and chemical communication.
- Species-specific CHC profiles are established tools for insect classification.
- The utility of CHCs for intraspecific population delimitation remains less explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method for collecting insect CHCs.
- To investigate the potential of CHC profiles as chemotaxonomic tools for intraspecific delimitation in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum.
Main Methods:
- Optimized SPME fibers, identifying 7 μm polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as most effective for CHC adsorption.
- Validated SPME against conventional hexane extraction, noting comparable qualitative results.
- Analyzed CHC profiles across different aphid developmental stages, morphs, and host plants.
Main Results:
- SPME demonstrated good reproducibility for CHC collection from individual aphids.
- While CHC profiles varied with aphid development, dimorphism, and host plant, wingless adults exhibited low variance.
- CHC profiles successfully distinguished A. pisum populations from different geographic regions, even where mitochondrial COI gene sequences showed no variation.
Conclusions:
- SPME is a reliable and efficient method for collecting insect CHCs.
- CHC profiles offer a valuable tool for intraspecific delimitation in insect chemotaxonomy.
- This approach can differentiate populations within species, complementing traditional genetic markers.
