Search results for " barcoding"

Barcoding of parasitoid wasps (Braconidae and Chalcidoidea) associated with wild and cultivated olives in the Western Cape of South Africa 1

2019

Wild and cultivated olives harbor and share a diversity of insects, some of which are considered agricultural pests, such as the olive fruit fly. The assemblage of olive-associated parasitoids and seed wasps is rich and specialized in sub-Saharan Africa, with native species possibly coevolving with their hosts. Although historical entomological surveys reported on the diversity of olive wasp species in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, no comprehensive study has been performed in the region in the molecular era. In this study, a dual approach combining morphological and DNA-based methods was used for the identification of adult specimens reared from olive fruits. Four species of Br…

On the occurrence of the invasive Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun 1896 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Portunidae) in Sicilian inland waters

2022

The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 is included among the worst invasive alien species in the Mediterranean Sea. Here, we report the finding of the species in two Sicilian rivers, the Irminio and the Imera Meridionale, where it was collected up to 6 km from the river mouths. Although several records of the species are already available from Italy, this is the first evidence of the occurrence of this invasive crab so far from the coastline in the whole country. In the light of the well-known impact of the Atlantic blue crab on the invaded water bodies, the monitoring of the species and appropriate mitigation strategies should be implemented in order to protect the threat…

The Impact of Environmental Conditions on Efficiency of Host Plant DNA Barcoding for Polyphagous Beetles.

2015

Recently, several papers were published dealing with host plant identification for selected species of insects, including beetles. These studies took advantage of the DNA barcoding approach and generally showed that it is possible to identify diet composition from plant DNA present in insect guts. However, none of these studies considered how the impact of environmental conditions affected the likelihood of insect feeding and, therefore, the presence of host plant DNA that could be amplified and sequenced. In the present study, individuals of the polyphagous weevil Centricnemus leucogrammus (Germar, 1824) (Curculionidae: Entiminae) were used to test the hypothesis that harsh environmental c…

DNA barcoding reveals different cestode helminth species in northern European marine and freshwater ringed seals

2021

Three subspecies of the ringed seal (Pusa hispida) are found in northeastern Europe: P. h. botnica in the Baltic Sea, P. h saimensis in Lake Saimaa in Finland, and P. h. ladogensis in Lake Ladoga in Russia. We investigated the poorly-known cestode helminth communities of these closely related but ecologically divergent subspecies using COI barcode data. Our results show that, while cestodes from the Baltic Sea represent Schistocephalus solidus, all worms from the two lakes are identified as Ligula intestinalis, a species that has previously not been reported from seals. The observed shift in cestode communities appears to be driven by differential availability of intermediate fish host spec…

Environmental RNA outperforms eDNA metabarcoding in assessing impact of marine pollution: A chromium-spiked mesocosm test

2022

Environmental (e)DNA metabarcoding holds great promise for biomonitoring and ecotoxicological applications. However, few studies have compared the performance of eDNA versus eRNA metabarcoding in assessing organismal response to marine pollution, in experimental conditions. Here, we performed a chromium (Cr)-spiked mesocosm experimental test on benthic foraminiferal community to investigate the effects on species diversity by analysing both eDNA and eRNA metabarcoding data across different Cr concentrations in the sediment. Foraminiferal diversity in the eRNA data showed a significant negative correlation with the Cr concentration in the sediment, while a positive response was observed in t…

“DNA Barcoding come strumento a supporto della tassonomia zoologica per pesci ossei e crostacei del Canale di Sicilia e dell’identificazione univoca …

La metodica molecolare del DNA Barcoding consente l'identificazione a livello di specie su scala globale utilizzando un approccio basato sul DNA standardizzato e autenticato. Le biblioteche di riferimento che contengono i Barcode validati (COI) costituiscono robusti set di dati per la verifica delle sequenze di query, fornendo notevole utilità per identificare i pesci marini, crostacei e altri organismi. In questo studio è stata analizzata la possibilità di utilizzare il DNA Barcode per assegnare ai campioni analizzati le specie di provenienza, pesci e crostacei, raccolti nel mar Mediterraneo centrale ed è stata sequenziata per la prima volta la regione COI nelle specie di crostacei Alphaeu…

DNA barcodes reveal the presence of the introduced freshwater leechHelobdella europaeain Spain

2013

Abstract We report the finding of the freshwater leech Helobdella europaea in Spain for the first time. Three leech specimens were found attached to the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis. Helobdella europaea is not a blood feeder and, like all members of the genus, feeds on the hemolymph of aquatic invertebrates including snails and worms. Despite the fact that the original geographical distribution or source population of this species is unknown, the close relationship between H. europaea and leeches of the "triserialis" series (sensu Sawyer, 1986) suggests a New World origin. Given its ability to invade and persist in new environments, this leech has been described as a new species by…

Authentication of berries and berry-based food products.

2021

Abstract Berries represent one of the most important and high-valued group of modern-day health-beneficial “superfoods” whose dietary consumption has been recognized to be beneficial for human health for a long time. In addition to being delicious, berries are rich in nutrients, vitamins, and several bioactive compounds, including carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and hydrolysable tannins. However, due to their high value, berries and berry-based products are often subject to fraudulent adulteration, commonly for economical gain, but also unintentionally due to misidentification of species. Deliberate adulteration often comprises the substitution of high-value berries with lower valu…

First morphological and molecular investigation of the mycobiota associated with Astragalus nebrodensis in its natural environment (Madonie mountains…

2023

Although Astragalus nebrodensis plays a fundamental ecological role, mycorrhizal fungi associated with this species have never been investigated in natural habitats. Our aim was to check the presence and occurrence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in roots of A. nebrodensis in a natural habitat and to screen the fungal diversity in the surrounding soil, considering the positive influence of mycotrophic shrub species on soil microbiota. A morphological analysis was performed on A. nebrodensis roots samples from the Madonie mountains (Sicily, Italy), while high-throughput-sequencing was carried out in A. nebrodensis roots and in the associated soil. Observations of A. nebrodensis roots r…

Using DNA barcodes to detect non-indigenous species: the case of the Asian copepod Mesocyclops pehpeiensis Hu, 1943 (Cyclopidae) in two regions of th…

2015

To date, little attention has been paid to analyses of copepods as exotic species. The genusMesocyclops, a freshwater cyclopoid, has a worldwide distribution, but individual species within the genus have a quite restricted geographical range.Mesocyclops pehpeiensisHu, 1943 is a Central-East Asian species, rarely found outside of this area, and when it appears should be considered as non-native. Based on morphology and DNA barcode analyses, using the COI gene, we confirmed records ofM. pehpeiensisin two ponds in Mexico and in a rice paddy near Valencia, Spain. The morphology of this species, based on morphometric analyses, was found to be variable, but DNA barcoding confirmed the same identi…