Sample information

The specimen was observed and collected from underneath a tree during midday, around 2 pm. The weather was warm, about 60°F. The Asian lady beetle was active at the time of observation, moving across the dirt. It was then transferred to the sidewalk for easier collection. It had typical orange coloration with black markings.

Methods

Due to the small size of the specimen, the whole organism was thoroughly homogenized with a micro-pestle prior to DNA extraction to maximize recovery of reproductive tissue DNA. Wolbachia-positive and negative controls were run alongside the sample during PCR and gel electrophoresis to verify assay reliability. Gel migration was monitored closely, and results were documented immediately after UV visualization.

Results

Confidence in the negative Wolbachia result was high because no amplification was observed at the expected fragment size in the sample lane, while controls behaved as anticipated. The presence of a band in the positive control and the absence of bands in the negative control indicated that the PCR and gel electrophoresis were successful reducing the likelihood of a false negative.