MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR STUDY OF TWO SPECIES OF CARPOMYA COSTA, 1854 (DIPTERA, TEPHRITIDAE) INFESTING SIDR FRUITS IN BAGHDAD, IRAQ

Eyas Yaseen Al-Jboory; Feryal Bahjat Hermize

doi:10.26842/binhm.7.2025.18.4.0917

Authors

Eyas Yaseen Al-Jboory Plant Protection Department, College of Agriculture Engineering Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
Feryal Bahjat Hermize Plant Protection Department, College of Agriculture Engineering Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2025.18.4.0917

Keywords:

Carpomya, Fruit fly, Molecular identification, PCR, Ziziphus.

Abstract

Sidr trees are exposed to infestation by various insects, including the fruit fly species that belongs to the genus Carpomya Costa, 1854 (Diptera, Tephritidae), which comprises different species, some specialized in infesting sidr fruits. Therefore, this study aimed to diagnose the species of this genus infesting fruits of various species of Ziziphus Mill., 1754 cultivars. using distinct morphological features and molecular analysis (PCR). The paper also included constructing a phylogenetic tree for the genetically sequenced species using the COI gene and the sequence data were then compared with available data in GenBank.
The survey was conducted from December 2024 to May 2025, when a total of 25 kg of infested sidr fruits were collected from various locations in Baghdad Province, central of Iraq. This study molecularly recorded two species within this genus, representing the first molecular records for each: Carpomya vesuviana Costa,1854 which is the first molecular record in Iraq, and Carpomya incompleta (Becker, 1903), which is the first molecular record in Baghdad. The sequences were registered in GenBank under accession numbers PV809906 and PV810821, respectively.