Sample information

I found this long hoverfly in an open compost bag with fruit and vegetable scraps buried in soil. I collected it at about 5 pm when it was about 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Methods

Gel electrophoresis lanes
1. PCR molecular weight ruler (1000, 700, 500, 200, 100 bp)
2. DNA sample of pholcus phalangioides
3. DNA sample of sphaerophoria scripta
4. Wolbachia-positive (16S) arthropod control
5. Wolbachia-negative (16S) arthropod control
7. Arthropod-positive (CO1) DNA control
8. Arthropod-negative (CO1) DNA control

Analysis

The sphaerophoria scripta sample had a band matching the arthropod-positive control’s upper band (CO1), but not a band matching the Wolbachia-positive control’s band (16S; like how the Wolbachia-negative control had no bands), so sphaerophoria scripta seems to be an arthropod and Wolbachia-negative.

Results

The Wolbachia-positive and Wolbachia-negative controls might not have completely worked because they’re arthropods, but didn’t have bands matching the arthropod-positive control’s upper band (CO1 or the arthropod gene, which has a larger molecular weight) out of its two bands (the lower band with a smaller molecular weight in common with the Wolbachia-positive control should be 16S or the Wolbachia gene). This all shouldn’t have affected how sphaerophoria scripta tested negative for Wolbachia because being Wolbachia-negative just looks like a gel that just doesn’t have a Wolbachia-positive band for a sample. So, our results can be trusted.