Additional records of the African fig fly Zaprionus indianus Gupta, 1970 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) for western Iran supported by DNA barcoding

Zaprionus indianus is a very successful invasive species with a high dispersion capacity. In this paper we present the first host record of the African fig fly pest for western Iran. We use molecular data to support the identification of this species. In total, 250 larval specimens were collected. After immature rearing and adult emergence under laboratory conditions, the specimens were identified as Z. indianus based on morphological characters. Then, the morphological identification was confirmed by BLAST analysis of the COI nucleotide sequence, which showed 97%–100% identity to COI sequences of Z. indianus, submitted from different parts of world. This study can provide some insights into the identification, ecology and host preference of Z. indianus as a new invasive and potentially major pomegranate pest in western Iran.

Keywords:

Punica granatum , Drosophilidae , DNA barcoding , Phylogenetic tree , Lorestan , Western Iran