ASSESSMENT OF LADYBIRD BEETLE SPECIES DIVERSITY IN SWAT DISTRICT USING MORPHOMETRIC AND DNA BARCODING TECHNIQUES

This study uses morphometric and molecular analyses to explore the diversity of the Coccinellidae family in Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A total of 365 ladybird beetle specimens were collected from various tehsils, leading to the identification of ten species across nine genera, including Coccinella transversalis, Coccinella septempunctata, Menochilus sexmaculata, Illeis confusa, Oenopia mimica, Hippodamia variegata, Propylea dissecta, Exochomus nigripennis, Anegleis cardoni, and Epilachna convexa. DNA barcoding of ten selected genotypes using the universal CO1 primer produced high-quality sequences for six genotypes. The CO1 sequences of C. transversalis showed 99% identity with its species (C. transversalis, accession number KX052276.1) and related genera, while C. septempunctata exhibited 99% similarity with its species. Similarly, M. sexmaculata demonstrated 99% identity with Pristonema sp. (accession number KR485427.1), and H. variegata, P. dissecta, and E. nigripennis showed 99% resemblance with Hippodamia sp. (MT622588.1), Coelophora inaqdualis (MF280617.1), and Halyzia sp. (MH510775.1), respectively. Ladybird beetles play a critical ecological role as natural predators of agricultural pests, making them integral to biological pest control and sustainable agriculture. This study highlights the rich diversity of Coccinellidae in the Swat District and provides valuable morphological and molecular data, contributing to Pakistan's faunal records and global genetic repositories. The findings emphasize the ecological importance of ladybird beetles and underscore the need for continued biodiversity research in this region to support conservation and pest management efforts. Keywords: Ladybird Beetles, Coccinellidae, Morphometric Analysis, DNA Barcoding Swat District