Molecular Identification of Peach Fruit Fly Bactrocera zonata and its Symbionts in Karbala Province, Iraq

Abstract

Bactrocera zonata is a fruit tree pest that typically attacks and causes heavy damage in fruit production using its sucking mouth. Researchers have started to distinguish them through molecular characterization and sequencing to control this pest. Mitochondrial genes such as COI (mtCOI) are commonly used as barcoding for identifying eukaryotes and counting insects. In the current study, the mtCOI gene has been amplified. Three samples from five locations in Karbala city were sequenced using the Sanger sequencing method. Also, symbionts bacteria linked with this insect were molecularly identified by sequencing. Four different sequences of B. zonata showed genetic diversity, and three different endosymbionts, Pectobacterium carotovorum, Acidithiobacillus sp., and Bacterium symbiont of B. zonata were molecularly identified. Different computational tools were used to compare sequences with related sequences retrieved from databases. Associated species were identified through phylogenetic analysis using the MEGA X software and confirmed with available GenBank databases. Pairwise sequence alignment showed the sequence identity of about 99% with Bactrocera zonata.