Leafmining for environmental DNA

Mr Anthony van Rooyen^1,2, Dr Elia Pirtle², Dr James Maino², Associate Professor Paul Umina^2,3, Dr Andrew Weeks^1,2,3

¹EnviroDNA, Melbourne, Australia, ²Cesar Australia, Melbourne, Australia, ³School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract:

The Agromyzidae are a group of small flies whose larvae feed internally on plants, often as leaf miners, with a high level of host specificity. However some species are highly polyphagous and known as serious agricultural pests and threats to Australia’s plant-based agricultural industries. Surveillance and diagnosis of these pests can be difficult due to their small size, rapid lifecycle and visual similarities between species and the damage they inflict on plants. We have developed molecular diagnostic quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays to differentiate between several agromyzidae species and developed environmental DNA (eDNA) methods for agromyzidae, which increase the window of detectability through DNA left in leaf mines, providing a more sensitive and cost-efficient monitoring and surveillance technique for their detection. We have also tested the utility of the assay combined with a simple extraction procedure as a rapid field diagnostic using the portable FranklinTM quantitative PCR machine to identify larval, pupal and leaf mine samples. We discuss the application of these assays and the rapid infield diagnostic test for improving surveillance activities and management responses for these biosecurity threats that have all recently been detected as incursions on mainland Australia.

Biography:

Anthony grew up on a picturesque farm sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Southern alps which nurtured a strong interest for agriculture and the environment. After graduating from Lincoln University, Canterbury Anthony has pursued a career as a molecular scientist working on a diverse range of projects in integrated pest management, conservation and biosecurity. Anthony first started working on environmental DNA to detect invasive newts in 2013. Since then, he has worked on over 100 eDNA projects with clients across Australia in his roles with both Cesar Australia and EnviroDNA.