Molecular Identification of Peach Fruit Fly Bactrocera zonata and its Symbionts in Karbala Province, Iraq

Abstract Bactrocera zonata is a fruit tree pest that typically attacks and causes heavy damage in production using its sucking mouth. Researchers have started to distinguish them through molecular characterization sequencing control this pest. Mitochondrial genes such as COI (mtCOI) are commonly used barcoding for identifying eukaryotes counting insects. In the current study, mtCOI gene has been amplified. Three samples from five locations Karbala city were sequenced Sanger method. Also, symbionts bacteria linked with insect molecularly identified by sequencing. Four different sequences of B. showed genetic diversity, three endosymbionts, Pectobacterium carotovorum, Acidithiobacillus sp., Bacterium symbiont identified. Different computational tools compare related retrieved databases. Associated species phylogenetic analysis MEGA X software confirmed available GenBank Pairwise sequence alignment identity about 99% .