Comparison of dry and wet trapping for diet analysis of carabid beetles

This manuscript has been accepted for publication in the journal Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata.The study focuses on the potential difference between dry and wet pitfall traps to collect carabid beetles for diet analysese. Dry pitfall traps are commonly assumed to be better for DNA preservation than traps using killing agents. To test this, we compared the trapping efficiency of two pitfall types, dry vs. with brine, in oilseed rape fields in France, as well as the conservation of prey DNA contained in the digestive tract of two common beetle species, Nebria salina and Calathus fuscipes. Prey DNA was amplified differentially, but sequencing was not influenced by trap type. Also information on the carabids’ diet in autumn is provided.