An Immunomarking Technique for Labeling Minute Parasitoids

A laboratory study was conducted to examine the efficacy of a novel immunomarking technique on Anaphes iole Girault, a minute parasitoid of Lygus spp. eggs. Adult A. iole were marked with the readily available mammal protein, rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG), by 3 different application methods. Adult parasitoids were marked internally by feeding them a honey solution spiked with rabbit IgG and externally by contact exposure or topical mist. Marked individuals were then assayed using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the presence of the IgG marker using an antibody specific to rabbit IgG (antirabbit IgG developed in goat) . Data indicate that the IgG marker was retained throughout the entire adult lifespan in almost (98.9%) every individual parasitoid assayed, regardless of the application method used. The advantages and limitations of using immunomarkers for mark-release-recapture studies involving minute insects are discussed.