The use of DNA barcoding in identification of Liriomyza spp. (Diptera: Agromyzidae) and its natural enemies collected from vegetable areas in Aydın province

Insects are one of the most diverse groups of living things on Earth. They have evolved to have extremely different morphological structures. However, insect taxonomy is still largely incomplete, and more systematic research is needed to fully understand biodiversity. Leafminers of the Agromyzidae family, in particular, are difficult to distinguish at the species level due to their morphological similarities. Because these similarities make identification difficult, molecular methods are used to accurately identify these species. In this context, the DNA barcoding technique offers reliable and rapid species-level identification. Our study aims to identify leafminers (Liriomyza spp.) and their parasitoid species at the molecular level in the districts of the Aydın province. We isolated DNA from samples obtained during field studies. We amplified the mitochondrial COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) gene region by PCR and subjected it to sequencing analysis. We compared the obtained sequences with those in international databases and performed molecular and phylogenetic analyses. The analysis determined that the samples belonged to the Liriomyza sativae, Liriomyza trifolii, and Neochrysocharis formosa species. Genetic distance and variation analyses clearly showed genetic separation between the species. This study demonstrates the ability to accurately identify leafmimers species and their natural enemies at the molecular level, providing a scientific contribution that can be effectively utilized in similar studies.