Detecting terrestrial insects from naturally exuding tree sap using environmental DNA: a pilot study

Abstract

Terrestrial environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches are rapidly expanding, yet robust, field-ready substrates for detecting insect DNA remain limited in forest ecosystems. Tree sap is a localized microhabitat that attracts diverse insects and may provide a useful substrate for surface eDNA sampling, but its potential for insect monitoring has rarely been evaluated. Here, we present a pilot proof-of-concept study testing naturally exuding tree sap and sap-mimicking traps as terrestrial eDNA substrates. We collected swab samples from sap and trap surfaces at two forest sites in Japan (Fujisawa and Minamisanriku) and performed metabarcoding using COI and an arthropod-focused 16S marker (gInsect). Reads were processed into amplicon sequence variants and assigned by BLAST top hits against NCBI nt, with high-confidence detections defined at identity [≥]98%. Across sites, sap and trap swabs yielded multiple high-confidence insect detections spanning several orders, including sap-associated stag beetles (Dorcus spp.). Overlap with contemporaneous conventional monitoring was limited, suggesting that sap-surface eDNA and conventional surveys capture partly different components of sap-associated insect assemblages. In a targeted 2024 spot survey, actively fermenting sap yielded multiple insect eDNA detections, whereas inactive, non-fermented sap yielded no high-confidence insect detections. Although limited by small sample size and the absence of dedicated process controls, these findings support the feasibility of tree sap as a localized terrestrial eDNA substrate and provide a basis for future replicated studies of sap-associated insect monitoring.