Incidence of prey DNA in predators from a cotton system utilizing winter cover crops

There is increasing interest in the use of winter cover crops in annual
cropping systems to promote beneficial insects and the ecosystem services
they provide. One such, biological control, is a result of predation on
economically important pests within an agricultural system.  The
presence of cover crop residue alongside growing cotton has the potential
to bolster natural enemy communities and influence trophic relationships
between predators and prey.  Arthropod predators were sampled
from a Georgia cotton field at each major cotton development stage from
cotton grown following rye and crimson clover cover crops compared to a no
cover control. DNA extracted from collected predators was screened for the
presence of common cotton pests and alternative prey.  Here we
provide the data resulting from the molecular gut content analysis of
predators collected during the 2017 and 2018 cotton growing season. The
data provided includes predator identification and details, presence of
DNA for eight potential prey items, cover crop treatment, and collection
date.