A Molecular Marker to Identify (JE Smith) DNA in Predators' Gut Content.

is a serious pest of maize and other crops worldwide. The integration of control tactics is recommended for suppression because reports of insecticide and Btplant-resistance are frequent. Biological control agents would be an alternative to improve control in agricultural areas. We constructed a species-specific molecular marker to detect DNA in predators' gut content and estimated the predation rates of ladybugs and earwigs on in maize crops. Predators were sampled in Pirassununga, São Paulo state, Brazil, in 2020 and 2021. Using the species-specific molecular marker in laboratory conditions, we estimated the half-life time to detect DNA in the gut contents of as 6.16 h and as 25.72 h. The weekly predation rate of by predators in maize crop varied from 0 to 42.1% by ladybugs and from 0 to 9.2% by . Predation events on by predators were more frequent during the maize reproductive stage. Our results confirmed that predators might contribute to suppression in maize fields. However, further studies of prey-predator interactions and agricultural landscapes are essential for a better understanding of predator dynamics in crops.