Methods for Marking Insects: Current Techniques and Future Prospects

Abstract

Tracking the movement of insects in their natural habitat is essential for understanding their basic biology, demography, and ethology. A wide variety of markers have been used to assess insect population dynamics, dispersal, territoriality, feeding behavior, trophic-level interactions, and other ecological interactions. The ideal marker should persist without inhibiting the insect's "normal" biology. Furthermore, the marker should be environmentally safe, cost-effective, and easy to use. In this article, we review the current state of knowledge regarding insect marking, document the advantages and limitations of each marking technique, and discuss advances made in marking insects over the past decade.

Improving insect pest management through population genetic data: a case study of the mosquito Ochlerotatus caspius (Pallas)

“…To this aim, knowledge of the dispersal abilities and migration patterns of the target populations is of utmost importance to determine the appropriate geographic scale for carrying out effective treatments and to predict the geographic spread pattern of a resistance allele. This information is often difficult to obtain for species such as mosquitoes by using classical direct methods, based on markrecapture trials (Roderick 1996;Hagler & Jackson 2001). These methods allow migration patterns to be described only over small distances and the direct measurements of individual dispersal do not necessarily reflect gene movement, as migrating individuals must effectively reproduce in the new location in order for there to be a gene flow.…”

Adult carbohydrate feeding affects reproduction of Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

“…They play fundamental roles in fi eld assays, such as dispersion analyses, capture and recapture and in nutritional and phenological studies. These techniques include the use of fl uorescent markers or dyes, which allow easier identifi cation, but in addition they must have the lowest possible infl uence over the performed studies (Hagler & Jackson 2001).The reproductive potential of lepidopterans is infl uenced by the insect's lifecycle, nutritional status and development of reproductive organs, all of them influenced by physiological events regulated by hormonal levels (Parra et al 1999, Cole et al 2002.Hormones play a major role in regulating protein synthesis in the reproductive tissues of insects, including Lepidoptera (Sorge et al 2000), and the possibility to alter the reproductive capacity of adults by feeding them hormone analogs, such as the ecdysteroid agonist tebufenozide, has been exploited (Smagghe & Degheele 1994).The objectives of this study were to verify if adults of P. operculella feed on sugar solutions and the effect of sugar consumption on their reproductive fi tness, as a step towards the development of hormone-based baits to control de reproductive capacity of this pest in fi eld conditions. …”

“…They play fundamental roles in fi eld assays, such as dispersion analyses, capture and recapture and in nutritional and phenological studies. These techniques include the use of fl uorescent markers or dyes, which allow easier identifi cation, but in addition they must have the lowest possible infl uence over the performed studies (Hagler & Jackson 2001).…”

Efficiency of rubidium marking in Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae): preliminary evaluation on persistence of egg labeling, survival, and fecundity of marked female

“…A wide variety of marking techniques has been used in the evaluation of biological parameters of insects of medical and agricultural importance (Service 1993, Hagler & Jackson 2001. Conceptually, the markers must last in the animal, their application must not affect its behavior, and the released insects must become thoroughly mixed among the native population (Southwood 1978).…”