Rapid detection of the red fire ant Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) by loop-mediated isothermal amplification

• Published in: Applied Entomology and Zoology Vol. 54; no. 3; pp. 319 - 322
• Main Authors: Nakajima, Nobuyoshi, Sakamoto, Yoshiko, Goka, Koichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Springer Science and Business Media LLC 01.08.2019; Springer Japan; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Applied Ecology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cytochrome-c oxidase; DNA; Entomology; Environmental Management; Introduced species; Invasive species; Japan; Life Sciences; loop-mediated isothermal amplification; Mitochondria; Nucleotide sequence; nucleotide sequences; Plant Pathology; Primers; rapid methods; Solenopsis invicta; Technical Note; Turbidity; Zoology; Japan; Loop-mediated isothermal amplification; Invasive alien species
• ISSN: 0003-6862; 1347-605X
• DOI: 10.1007/s13355-019-00622-4

We developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay to detect the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, an invasive species in Japan. We designed species-specific LAMP primers on the basis of the nucleotide sequence of the S. invicta mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 region. The system we developed has a sensitivity and specificity enabling detection of one S. invicta in a mixed sample including nine individuals of a non-target ant species. We were easily able to detect the S. invicta DNA visually based on the turbidity of the reaction mixture. This rapid and easy LAMP assay system provides a powerful tool for the early detection and identification of S. invicta in invaded regions.