DNA Barcoding Results From 2018 Fecal Sampling

DNA Barcoding Results From 2018 Fecal Sampling

May 15, 2019

Mat Seidensticker and Kate Stone share results of DNA barcoding to analyze and compare the diets of Common Poorwills, Common Nighthawks, Flammulated Owls, and bats.

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Research Update: DNA barcoding results from 2018 fecal sampling 4/29/19 Mat Seidensticker Kate Stone

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We wanted to know if we could use fecal DNA barcoding to analyze and compare the diets of Common Poorwills, Common Nighthawks, Flammulated Owls, and bats

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We collected 169 fecal samples from Common Poorwills (86), Common Nighthawks (39), Flammulated Owls (5), and bats (39). Flies and moths comprised over 85% of the nocturnal insectivore diet

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We detected DNA sequences in 52 (60%) of the 86 fecal samples collected from Common Poorwills, a much lower success rate than previous years.We detected DNA sequences in 52 (60%) of the 86 fecal samples collected from Common Poorwills, a much lower succes

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We detected a much lower proportion of moth and higher proportion of crane fly DNA in poorwill diets in 2018 compared to 2017.

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We detected DNA barcodes in 29 (74%) of 39 Common Nighthawk fecal samples.

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We collected 39 fecal samples from seven bat species, including big brown bat (12), silver-haired bat (9), long-eared myotis (5), long-legged myotis (4), fringed myotis (3), little brown myotis (3), unknown species (2), and California Myotis (1).

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We only collected five fecal samples from Flammulated Owls in 2018.

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We collected a total of 463 fecal samples from 38 songbird species: 264 from 34 species at MPG Ranch and 199 from 20 species at Lucky Peak.

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Fecal DNA amplifications were much higher for insects than plants at MPG Ranch while amplification success for each primer was nearly equal at Lucky Peak (Figure 5).

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We found insect DNA in 273 (58.9%) of the 463 fecal samples collected from 30 songbird species at MPG Ranch (176 samples, 28 spp.) and Lucky Peak (98 samples, 14 spp.).

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In several warblers and two species of thrush, moths represented a third to over half of the diet (Figure 7).

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We detected plant DNA in 146 (31.5%) of 463 fecal samples from 22 songbird species at MPG Ranch (55 samples, 19 spp.) and Lucky Peak (91 samples, 14 spp.).

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Since 2017 we have submitted 1,123 fecal samples from 41 bird and seven bat species for insect DNA analysis and 463 from 38 bird species for plant DNA analysis.

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Currently, our local barcode library consists of 1409 viable barcodes representing over 600 insect species across 11 Orders, including nearly 450 moth species.

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DNA Barcoding Results From 2018 Fecal Sampling

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DNA Barcoding Results From 2018 Fecal Sampling

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