Goldenrod Soldier Beetle

December 4, 2025

Sample information
Picture
Photos by: John Paul K., Sam D.
Location
Collection date 09/26/2025
Captive / Cultivated? Wild-caught
Group NCSSM
Observations

This Goldenrod Soldier Beetle was found in a garden behind NCSSM in Morganton. It was collected around 1:00pm, it was one of 13 collected and identified with iNaturalist.
Putative identification Arthropoda Insecta Coleoptera Cantharidae Chauliognathus Chauliognathus pensylvanicus

Methods
Extraction kit DNeasy (Qiagen)
DNA extraction location Abdomen
Single or Duplex PCR Single Reaction
Gel electrophoresis system MiniPCR
Buffer TBE
DNA stain GelGreen
Gel images
Protocol notes

DNA Extraction: I removed the majority of the arthropod, other than the abdomen, then took great care while crushing to make sure everything was broken up.

Gel Lanes:

  1. 100bp Ladder
  2. Empty
  3. Goldenrod Soldier Beetle Sample 1 Arthropod Primers
  4. Goldenrod Soldier Beetle Sample 1 Wolbachia Primers
  5. American Bird Grasshopper Sample 1 Arthropod Primers
  6. American Bird Grasshopper Sample 1 Wolbachia Primers
  7. Goldenrod Soldier Beetle Sample 1 Arthropod Primers
  8. Goldenrod Soldier Beetle Sample 1 Wolbachia Primers
  9. Empty
  10. Arthropod Positive Control
  11. Arthropod Negative Control
  12. Wolbachia Positive Control
  13. Wolbachia Negative Control

Analysis: My controls all worked, and while faint, I had a band for both the arthropod and Wolbachia DNA from the sample.

Results
Wolbachia presence Yes
Confidence level Medium
Explanation of confidence level

Controls all worked, but bands were somewhat faint for the sample.
Wolbachia 16S sequence Download FASTA   
CATACCTATTCGAAGGGATAGGGTCGGTTCGGCCGGGTTTCACACAGGTGTTGCATGGCTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCTCATCCTTAGTTACCATCAGGTAATGCTGGGGACTTTAAGGAAACTGCCAGTGATAAACTGGAGGAAGGTGGGGATGATGTCAAGTCATCATGGCCCTTATGGAGTGGGCTACACACGTGCTACAATGGTGGCTACAATGGGCTGCAAAGTCGCGAGGCTAAGCCAATCCCTTAAAAGCCATCTCAGTTCGGATTGTACTCTGCAACTCGAGTGCATGAAGTTGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTGGATCAGCACGCCACGGTGAATACGTTCTCGGGTCTTGTACACACTGCCCGTCACGCCATGGGAATTGGTTTCACTCGAAGCT
BLAST at The Wolbachia Project   BLAST at NCBI
Arthropod COI sequence
Summary The Chauliognathus pensylvanicus was found to be postive for Wolbachia.
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