GENERALIST PREDATORS CAN SUPPRESS AGRICULTURAL PESTS, BUT THEY ALSO FEED ON OTHER NATURAL ENEMIES, DETRITIVORES, AND POLLINATORS WHICH HARMS FARM ECOLOGY. PCR-BASED DIET ANALYSIS HAS ALLOWED GREAT STRIDES TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEX FEEDING ROLES OF THESE PREDATORS. HOWEVER, THE BIASES INTRODUCED BY THE AMPLIFICATION STEPS, AS WELL AS THE NEED TO DESIGN PRIMERS SPECIFIC TO PARTICULAR PREY TAXA, STILL LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO FULLY ASSESS THE DIETS OF BROAD-FEEDING PREDATORS. HERE WE PROPOSE TO PAIR SHOTGUN SEQUENCING WITH ADVANCED STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS IN AN ATTEMPT TO MORE-COMPLETELY DESCRIBE THE FEEDING NICHE OF THE GENERALIST GROUND BEETLE PTEROSTICHUS MELANARIUS. OUR GOALS ARE TO (1) COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE IDENTITY AND DIVERSITY OF DIET ITEMS IDENTIFIED USING AMPLICON- VERSUS SHOTGUN-SEQUENCING BASED MOLECULAR GUT CONTENT ANALYSES, AND (2) PAIR THESE DATA WITH STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS TO EXAMINE HOW WELL DIETS FROM MOLECULAR GUT CONTENT ANALYSIS ALIGN WITH PREDATORS' TROPHIC POSITION AND NICHE BREADTH. OUR FOCAL PREDATORS WERE COLLECTED FROM A DIVERSE GROUP OF > 30 ORGANIC FARMS ACROSS OREGON AND WASHINGTON, WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF PREY DIVERSITY ON PREDATOR FEEDING ROLES AND EFFECTIVENESS FOR BIOCONTROL. THIS IN TURN WILL ALLOW US TO BETTER INFORM GROWERS OF THE IMPACTS OF SUCH PREDATORS AND HOW TO TAILOR MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO ENHANCE NATURAL PEST CONTROL ON THEIR FARMS. ALTOGETHER, OUR PROJECT MEETS NIFA GOALS BY SEEKING TO ENHANCE NATURAL PEST SUPPRESSION AND CROP PRODUCTION (PLANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION AND PLANT PRODUCTS PRIORITY AREA)

University Of Georgia, Athens GA

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