Determining insect predator-prey interactions in high tunnels through molecular gut-content analysis

High tunnels are a specialty crop growing system gaining popularity due to their ability to increase the growing season and protect plants from inclement weather. High tunnels control temperature by having the option to open or close the sides. Due to this, insect populations and predator-prey relationships are different from those in greenhouses and open fields. Therefore, appropriate pest management techniques in high tunnels may differ from previous field and greenhouse studies. With many high tunnel growers being non-pesticide, we must find suitable pest management strategies. One popular pest management method is biological control through augmentative and conservation methods. To employ adequate biological control, we need to know which predators are present and what they are eating. Through high tunnel surveys, we determined which predators were present and used molecular gut content analysis to determine which pests the high tunnel predators were eating. Assessing predator population and predation can indicate what predators would most successfully survive and serve as biocontrol mechanisms in high tunnels. This information will determine the efficacy of commercial biocontrol agents in high tunnels and aid growers in determining which natural enemies to attract and which commercial biocontrol agents to release.