Phylogenetic analysis and prey identification of spiders from wheat fields using CO1 as molecular marker

Abstract

Interspecific competition occurs among sympatric species when the availability of shared resources is reduced in the environment. Resource partioning (prey groups) among nine agrobiont spider species along their exact identification of prey and predators were verified in University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-Pakistan. This study based on predation evidences is highly supportive to compute coefficients of niche breadth and niche overlap. All overlap values were <1.00 (range, 0.05-0.92), which indicates that each species has its own feeding niche in the wheat ecosystem. Although all are generalist predators, highest values were approximately1 to 2 times greater than the minimum, which specifies substantial differing degree of feeding specialization. Moreover, up to species level identification of prey-predator is challenging when closely related species are found at a given locality. DNA barcoding has proven to be a significant approach to resolve this taxonomic impediment. Sequence diversity in a standard segment of the mitochondrial gene coding for cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) is extremely operational in discerning spider species. A COI profile containing nine spider species correctly assigned approximately 100 % of subsequently analyzed specimens to the appropriate species. In addition, the number of base substitutions per site from averaging over all sequence pairs was calculated as 0.76 % and standard error estimate was 0.05. Such outcomes establish the potential of COI as a rapid and accurate identification tool for biodiversity surveys of spiders. Moreover, no any true evidences of predation were found among all nine predator’s gut due to the unavailability of expected insects specific primers. The overarching aim of such study was to develop a faunastic quantification of araneids along their prey consumed within wheat fields. Their major predatory role and dominant species composition were explored for agriculture and biodiversity sustainability in Pakistan. Nevertheless, due to insufficient and non-comprehensive data based on the CO1, gene sequences it was very difficult to fetch the accurate information however, present study is a step to explore the Araneae predator-prey roles in wheat fields of Pakistan.