Molecular Identification and Characterization of Fruit Flies of Genus Bactrocera (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Pakistan

Molecular identification and characterization of tephritid fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae), Bactrocera zonata, Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera cucurbitae was done in Punjab, Pakistan through PCR analysis using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene based primers. Phylogenetic analysis was also complemented to differentiate fruit flies identified from other countries of the world. The sequencing results and phylogenetic analysis of collected specimens indicated that sequences of B. dorsalis, B. cucurbitae and B. zonata have 99-100% similarity with fruit flies reported from other countries. This is the first report of molecular identification and characterization of Tephritid fruit flies infesting fruits in Punjab, Pakistan.