A DNA barcode survey of insect biodiversity in Pakistan

Using DNA barcoding to identify high-priority taxa (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) from Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) seeks to document every species of living thing in the park. The ATBI is decades in progress, yet some taxa remain virtually untouched by taxonomists. Such "high priority" taxa include the hyper-diverse parasitoid wasp family Ichneumonidae. Despite the positive and multifaceted effects ichneumonids have on their environment, only a small percentage of those collected in the park have been identified as species, mostly to their complex morphology and overwhelming diversity. Recently, DNA barcoding has transformed biodiversity inventories, streamlining the process to be more rapid and efficient. To test the effectiveness of barcoding 20 + year-old specimens of Ichneumonidae and catalog new records for GSMNP, COI was amplified from 95 ichneumonid morphospecies collected from Andrew's Bald, NC. Species identifications were confirmed morphologically. Eighty-one ichneumonids generated sequence data, representing 16 subfamilies and 44 genera. The subfamily Oxytorinae is newly recorded from GSMNP, along with 10 newly recorded genera and 23 newly recorded species across Ichneumonidae. These results contribute significantly to the ATBI by adding new park records for a high-priority taxon and demonstrate the effectiveness of applying DNA barcoding to samples in long-term storage or those lacking immediate taxonomic expertise.

Assessing arthropod biodiversity with DNA barcoding in Jinnah Garden, Lahore, Pakistan

Previous difficulties in arthropod taxonomy (such as limitations in conventional morphological approaches, the possibility of cryptic species and a shortage of knowledgeable taxonomists) has been overcome by the powerful tool of DNA barcoding. This study presents a thorough analysis of DNA barcoding in regards to Pakistani arthropods, which were collected from Lahore's Jinnah Garden. The 88 % (9,451) of the 10,792 specimens that were examined were able to generate DNA barcodes and 83% (8,974) of specimens were assigned 1,361 barcode index numbers (BINs). However, the success rate differed significantly between the orders of arthropods, from 77% for Thysanoptera to an astounding 93% for Diptera. Through morphological exams, DNA barcoding, and cross-referencing with the Barcode of Life Data system (BOLD), the Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) were assigned with a high degree of accuracy, both at the order (100%) and family (98%) levels. Though, identifications at the genus (37%) and species (15%) levels showed room for improvement. This underscores the ongoing need for enhancing and expanding the DNA barcode reference library. This study identified 324 genera and 191 species, underscoring the advantages of DNA barcoding over traditional morphological identification methods. Among the 17 arthropod orders identified, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera from the class Insecta dominated, collectively constituting 94% of BINs. Expected malaise trap Arthropod fauna in Jinnah Garden could contain approximately 2,785 BINs according to Preston log-normal species distribution, yet the Chao-1 Index predicts 2,389.74 BINs. The Simpson Index of Diversity (1-D) is 0.989, signaling high species diversity, while the Shannon Index is 5.77, indicating significant species richness and evenness. These results demonstrated that in Pakistani arthropods, DNA barcoding and BOLD are an invaluable tool for improving taxonomic understanding and biodiversity assessment, opening the door for further eDNA and metabarcoding research.

Molecular identification of Hymenopteran insects collected by using Malaise traps from Hazarganji Chiltan National Park Quetta, Pakistan

The order Hymenoptera holds great significance for humans, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions, due to its role as a pollinator of wild and cultivated flowering plants, parasites of destructive insects and honey producers. Despite this importance, limited attention has been given to the genetic diversity and molecular identification of Hymenopteran insects in most protected areas. This study provides insights into the first DNA barcode of Hymenopteran insects collected from Hazarganji Chiltan National Park (HCNP) and contributes to the global reference library of DNA barcodes. A total of 784 insect specimens were collected using Malaise traps, out of which 538 (68.62%) specimens were morphologically identified as Hymenopteran insects. The highest abundance of species of Hymenoptera (133/538, 24.72%) was observed during August and least in November (16/538, 2.97%). Genomic DNA extraction was performed individually from 90/538 (16.73%) morphologically identified specimens using the standard phenol-chloroform method, which were subjected separately to the PCR for their molecular confirmation via the amplification of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. The BLAST analyses of obtained sequences showed 91.64% to 100% identities with related sequences and clustered phylogenetically with their corresponding sequences that were reported from Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, Germany, India, Israel, and Pakistan. Additionally, total of 13 barcode index numbers (BINs) were assigned by Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD), out of which 12 were un-unique and one was unique (BOLD: AEU1239) which was assigned for Anthidium punctatum. This indicates the potential geographical variation of Hymenopteran population in HCNP. Further comprehensive studies are needed to molecularly confirm the existing insect species in HCNP and evaluate their impacts on the environment, both as beneficial (for example, pollination, honey producers and natural enemies) and detrimental (for example, venomous stings, crop damage, and pathogens transmission).

New faunistic data on Diptera (Hexapoda, Insecta) from the Ziarat Juniperus forest ecosystem (Pakistan)

Background

This study presents the first faunistic record and DNA barcoding for some Diptera species recorded from the Juniperus forest ecosystem of Balochistan, Pakistan. DNA barcoding was used to explore species diversity of Dipterans and collections carried out using a Malaise trap between December 2018 to December 2019. This process involved sequencing the 658 bp Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) gene.

New information

Amongst the collected Diptera specimens, nine families were identified, representing 13 genera. These species include Atherigonasoccata (Rondani, 1871), Atherigonavaria (Schiner, 1868), Chironomusdorsalis (Meigen, 1818), Eupeodescorollae (Linnaeus, 1758), Eristalistenax (Linnaeus,1758), Goniaornata (Meigen, 1826), Luciliasericata (Meigen, 1826), Paragusquadrifasciatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Polleniarudis (Fabricius, 1794), Raviniapernix (Thompson, 1869), Sarcophagadux (Thompson, 1869), Trupaneaamoena (Schiner, 1868) and Wohlfahrtiabella (Linnaeus, 1758). The families Syrphidae and Sarcophagidae exhibited the highest representation, each comprising three genera and three species. They were followed by the family Muscidae, which had a single genus and two species. Anthomyiidae, Chironomidae, Calliphoridae, Polleniidae, Tachinidae and Tephritidae were represented by only one genus and one species. A nique Barcode Index Number (BIN) was allotted to Tachinidae (specie i.e Goniaornata). The results indicated that barcoding through cytochrome oxidase I is an effective approach for the accurate identification and genetic studies of Diptera species. This discovery highlights the significant diversity of this insect order in study region. Furthermore, a comprehensive list of other Diptera species remains elusive because of difficulties in distinguishing them, based on morphology and a lack of professional entomological knowledge.

An updated catalogue of Agrypninae (Coleoptera: Elateridae) from Pakistan

The updated catalogue of Agrypninae from Pakistan is provided. We list 86 described species classified in 18 genera and five tribes (Agrypnini, Drilini, Hemirhipini, Oophorini, and Pseudomelanactini). More than one third of species are currently endemic to Pakistan. For each species we provide information on distribution and relevant bibliography. The following new combinations are proposed for species hitherto included in Conoderus Eschscholtz, 1829 (since Conoderus is currently a synonym of Monocrepidius Eschscholtz, 1829): Monocrepidius aeolodermoides (Platia, 2015) comb. nov., Monocrepidius cylindricus (Platia & Ahmed, 2016) comb. nov., Monocrepidius drasterioides (Platia & Ahmed, 2016) comb. nov., Monocrepidius nigromaculosus (Vats & Chauhan, 1992) comb. nov., Monocrepidius mithiensis (Platia & Ahmed, 2016) comb. nov., and Monocrepidius vartiani (Platia, 2015) comb. nov. Additionally, Conoderus pakistanicus Mangi, Pahnwar & Shaikh, 2022 is synonymized with Lanelater bipunctatus (Candèze, 1857).