The method of CO I marker for detecting predation of Apolygus lucorum on Helicoverpa armigera eggs.

Apolygus lucorum Meyer-Dur,an important insect pest of cotton and other crops in China,feeds on both plants and insects.A PCR was developed by designing a pair of primers using the cytochrome oxidase subunit Ⅰ(COⅠ) gene segment of Helicoverpa armigera Hubner and the effectiveness of this in detecting A.lucorum predation on H.armigera eggs investigated.The results indicate that this pair of primers can specially amplify H.armigera DNA in A.lucorum that had consumed three H.armigera eggs with a half life of 1.77 h.This method provides a valuable platform for further assessment of the ecological function of A.lucorum in agricultural systems.