Development and Validation of a Quick Easily used Biochemical Assay for Evaluating the Viability of Small Immobile Arthropods

Quickly, accurately, and easily assessing the efficacy of treatments to control sessile arthropods (e.g., scale insects) and stationary immature life stages (e.g., eggs and pupae) is problematic because it is difficult to tell whether treated organisms are alive or dead. Current approaches usually i...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of economic entomology 2013-10, Vol.106 (5), p.2006-2019
Main Authors: Phillips, Craig B, Iline, Ilia I, Richards, Nicola K, Novoselov, Max, McNeill, Mark R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism
Animals
Arthropods - enzymology
Arthropods - parasitology
Arthropods - physiology
ATP
biochemical viability assay
colorimetric
Colorimetry - methods
Coloring Agents - metabolism
COMMODITY TREATMENT AND QUARANTINE ENTOMOLOGY
Formazans - metabolism
Hexokinase - metabolism
Pest Control, Biological - methods
phytosanitary treatment
quarantine
Staining and Labeling
Tetrazolium Salts - metabolism
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Quickly, accurately, and easily assessing the efficacy of treatments to control sessile arthropods (e.g., scale insects) and stationary immature life stages (e.g., eggs and pupae) is problematic because it is difficult to tell whether treated organisms are alive or dead. Current approaches usually involve either maintaining organisms in the laboratory to observe them for development, gauging their response to physical stimulation, or assessing morphological characters such as turgidity and color. These can be slow, technically difficult, or subjective, and the validity of methods other than laboratory rearing has seldom been tested. Here, we describe development and validation of a quick easily used biochemical colorimetric assay for measuring the viability of arthropods that is sufficiently sensitive to test even very small organisms such as white fly eggs. The assay was adapted from a technique for staining the enzyme hexokinase to signal the presence of adenosine triphosphate in viable specimens by reducing a tetrazolium salt to formazan. Basic laboratory facilities and skills are required for production of the stain, but no specialist equipment, expertise, or facilities are needed for its use.
ISSN:0022-0493
1938-291X
0022-0493
DOI:10.1603/EC13028