Morphology and Molecular Identification of Bactrocera umbrosa Collected in North Minahasa, Indonesia

Being one of the most varied and damaging families of fruit flies, the genus Bactrocera is important in ecological, agricultural, and economic contexts. These insects, which are mostly found in tropical and subtropical areas, are infamous for infesting a variety of fruits and vegetables, seriously harming crops, and compromising the world's food security. Because of its possible effects on the local agriculture, Bactrocera umbrosa research is especially crucial in North Minahasa. The purpose of this study is to use morphological and molecular identification techniques to characterize the B. umbrosa fruit fly in North Minahasa, Indonesia. DNA barcoding of the COI gene was used for molecular identification. Furthermore, the COI gene homology of the discovered B. umbrosa was compared to all fly specimens of the same species listed in the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) GenBank database. According to the morphological identification, HR1 is confirmed as B. umbrosa. The molecular identification utilizing the COI gene sequence validated this result. According to the molecular analysis, B. umbrosa fly specimens collected in North Minahasa, Indonesia, are distinct from those of their close relatives collected in Papua New Guinea, Palau, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia. The closest relatives of this species, as well as insects in general, exhibit intraspecies variation. The findings of this study serve as the foundation for the necessity of future, more thorough research on fruit flies in Indonesia. Keywords: : Bactrocera umbrosa, morphology, molecular identification, North Minahasa.