Florida Entomologist (2016) 99, 166-176

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Rebecca Hood-Nowotny, Ally Harari, Rakesh K. Seth, Suk Ling Wee, Des E. Conlong, David M. Suckling, Bill Woods, Kaouthar Lebdi-Grissa, Gregory Simmons and James E. Carpenter (2016)
Stable isotope markers differentiate between mass-reared and wild Lepidoptera in sterile insect technique programs
Florida Entomologist 99 (sp1), 166-176
Abstract: In this study we identified a number of moth (Lepidoptera) species that are potential targets for the sterile insect technique (SIT), and we assessed the feasibility of using stable isotope signatures as markers to distinguish mass-reared from wild moth species. Large natural differences in the isotopic signatures of commercially available sugars render them novel markers for mass-reared insects. Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.; Caryophyllales: Amaranthaceae), a C₃ plant, has a stable isotopic signature (a measure of the ratio of the stable isotopes ¹³C:¹²C) of around -27‰ relative to Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB; the international C isotope standard for the stable isotopes, ¹³C and ¹²C), and sugarcane (Saccharum spp.; Poales: Poaceae), a C₄ plant, has an isotopic signature of around -11‰. Thus by means of such a distinct isotope ratio in the sugar in the diet, mass-reared insects can be easily distinguished from wild insects with a high degree of certainty. It was shown that the method could be extended using a multiple isotope approach, with ¹⁵N or a full suite of C, N, S and O isotopes. Intrinsic isotope marking of mass-reared moths proved to be an accurate means of distinguishing wild from mass-reared populations, based on isotopic differences between the wild host plant species and the diets used in mass-rearing, which where possible, had been manipulated to contain the isotopically divergent sugar type. This intrinsic labeling using stable isotopes could be useful in the assessment of the quality of mass-reared moths, because a stable isotope is a marker that does not affect the insect in any detrimental manner.
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Database assignments for author(s): David Maxwell Suckling, Rakesh Kumar Seth, Suk Ling Wee, Ally Rachel Harari, James E. Carpenter, Des E. Conlong

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general
rearing/culturing/mass production

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Lobesia botrana
	Plutella xylostella
	Epiphyas postvittana
	Spodoptera litura
	Pectinophora gossypiella
	Eldana saccharina	Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)	South Africa
	Cactoblastis cactorum	Prickly pear (Opuntia)