Diagnosis, taxonomic keys, DNA barcoding and molecular phylogeny of economically important fruit fly species (Diptera;Tephritidae)

Abstract

Fruit flies pose significant threats to horticultural crops, causing considerable production loss domestically and holding global importance as quarantine pests. Accurate identification is crucial for effective management and regulation of these pests. Hence, this study sought to explore species diversity and characterize fruit flies using both molecular and morphological approaches across different regions of Uttar Pradesh (UP) state in India. Fruit flies were captured using different parapheromone-based bottle traps containing methyl eugenol and cue-lure as male attractants, as well as fruit-based baits, over a period of 11 weeks. Nine fruit fly species were recorded, namely Bactrocera dorsalis, B. correcta, B. divenderi, B. digressa, B. zonata, Zeugodacus cucurbitae, Z. tau, Z. caudatus, and Z. duplicatus and their identities were confirmed through morphological examination and DNA barcoding. B. divenderi was recorded for the first time from the state UP. B. divenderi and Z. duplicatus barcodes were submitted for the first time to the NCBI database. All the nine species were diagnosed and taxonomic keys were provided for identification. The study of fruit fly diversity and abundance indicated lesser fruit fly diversity in the study area. The COI genes found to be suitable for identification of fruit flies without ambiguity. The pairwise genetic distance is also calculated for the fruit fly species described. The maximum likelihood tree depicts two different clades for Zeugodacus and Bactrocera which is similar to the results of pairwise genetic distance. This documentation of species diversity provides valuable insights for future research and aids in monitoring the distribution of fruit flies, including potential invasive species. © African Association of Insect Scientists 2024.