Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of the vegetable leafminer <i>Liriomyza sativae</i> Blanchard (Diptera: Agromyzidae)
Abstract
Abstract This article presents information on the molecular-genetic identification of the insect-pest species Liriomyza sativae Blanchard by DNA barcoding based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene. For the analysis, samples were collected from Tashkent and Bukhara regions of Uzbekistan, and mitochondrial DNA was extracted from the samples. Based on the DNA samples, the COI gene fragment was amplified using the primers HCO2198-L and LCO1490-L. The obtained sequences were found, in the NCBI database, to have 100% similarity with reference L. sativae sequences submitted from the USA, India, and Bangladesh, and GenBank accession numbers (PV123188, PV123187) were obtained for these COI gene sequences. As a result of phylogenetic analysis, both local samples clustered together with L. sativae sequences distributed worldwide, and clearly differed from closely related species such as L. trifolii, L. bryoniae, L. strigata and L. huidobrensis . This study represents the first molecular-level confirmation of L. sativae in Uzbekistan and provides important genetic data for regional phytosanitary monitoring and pest control systems. The results confirm that DNA barcoding based on the COI gene is a reliable and effective method for identifying morphologically similar or cryptic species.