Molecular diagnosis of the biological control agent Nesidiocoris tenuis (Tobacco Plant Bug) and its allied species (Insecta: Hemiptera) using COI barcoding

DNA barcoding is a useful molecular method for identification of certain animal groups. It uses partial DNA sequences of mitochondrial genes such as the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. In this study, effectiveness of the COI barcoding as an identification tool for Nesidiocoris tenuis, which is used as a biological control agent, and for its allied species, was evaluated. All the species used in this study had a distinct COI barcode sequence, and the Neighbor-Joining (NJ) tree based on COI sequences almost matched the morphological classification for most genera investigated in this study, except for the genus Cyrtopeltis. The average interspecific genetic distance between N. tenuis and its allied species was 111 times higher than the average intraspecific genetic distance. The tree showed shallow intraspecific divergences and deep interspecific divergences. Therefore, our results suggested that COI barcode for N, tenuis and its allied species can be used as an effective identification tool by entomologists, quarantine experts and other related researchers, and can provide directions to taxonomists for further taxonomic studies.