Abstract:
Background: More than 350 K described species, Coleoptera (beetles) represent the most diverse order from Class
Insecta in the entire animal kingdom. However, their phylogeny is highly controversial due to their morphological
crypticness and multiple markers used previously for sequence homology. Although many studies suggest that
their diversity currently relies majorly on morphological analysis, nevertheless DNA barcodes may provide a
functional, standardized tool for their unique identification. In the present report, a fragment of the mitochondrial
cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene has been proposed as standard DNA barcoding marker for the identification of
organisms.
Result: To evaluate this hypothesis, a random sampling was conducted in and around Vadodara, Gujarat, where 2690
individual of 65 species belonging to 16 families were reported from different sites, and diversity indices were employed
to unravel the species composition of that habitat. Further, 12 beetles from dominant families were selected for sequence
analysis using various bioinformatics tools and were compared with the rest of the beetles to obtain a more
robust phylogeny which is not reported earlier in previous studies.
Conclusion: Hence, the present study suggests that Scarabaeidae tends to be more diverse in and nearby
of Vadodara compared to all other families of Coleoptera and while in contrast Chrysomelidae showed maximum diversity
of pest species. DNA barcoding and nucleotide analysis resolves the phylogeny of controversial taxa; (Adephaga(Gyrinidae+
(Dytiscidae++ Carabidae)) (Polyphaga(Histeridae+Buprestidae+Lampyridae+Elateridae+(Scarabaeidae+(Coccinelidae+
Apionidae+Curculionidae+ (Meloidae+Tenebrionidae+(Cerambycidae+Chrysomelidae)))))).
Description:
The Journal of Basic and Applied Zoology, Vol 79(1), 2018, pp. 1-14
