Determining the geographic origin of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, using trace element content

Abstract A chemometric study using pattern recognition technology was carried out to characterize the geographic origins of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens . The concentrations of 23 trace elements (Mn, Mo, Cd, Ce, V, Th, Cs, Be, Tl, Fe, Nd, Pr, Se, Tm, Lu, Eu, Ho, Br, Dy, Gd, U, Sm and Er) in 53 samples from seven regions in southern China were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The data obtained were successively evaluated using a multivariate statistical approach, namely, linear discriminant analysis, which allowed classification and discrimination of the N. lugens samples from Fuqing, Shaoguan, Hepu, Yongfu, Hengnan, Wan‐an and Yongkang with high accuracy and a clear separation among the seven regions. The results show that pattern identification on the basis of trace elements in the bodies of N. lugens is feasible for determining the geographic origins of individuals.