Identification of the Parasitoid Wasp Dinocampus coccinellae (Schrank) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Pistachio Orchards Using DNA Barcoding

Identification of Dinocampus coccinellae (Schrank) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of various species within the Coccinellidae family, is essential for the development of effective biological control strategies in pistachio orchards. This study aimed to accurately identify D. coccinellae utilizing DNA barcoding techniques. Research was conducted throughout 2023 on coccinellid specimens collected regularly from pistachio orchards in Siirt. Among the collected Coccinellidae species, D. coccinellae DNA was successfully identified in the Hippodamia variegata specimen among a total of 11 individuals. The mitochondrial COI gene region of D. coccinellae was analyzed by DNA barcoding analysis using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and sequencing methods. PCR results and DNA sequencing confirmed the accurate identification of D. coccinellae, demonstrating high similarity with reference sequences in the NCBI database. The sequencing results exhibited high accuracy and reliability, with a similarity rate of 97.13% and an E-value of 0.0. Phylogenetic relationships were assessed using the Maximum Likelihood (ML) method. Phylogenetic analyses clearly illustrated the relationships of D. coccinellae with other Hymenoptera species. The phylogenetic tree indicated that D. coccinellae is most closely related to Meteorus obfuscatus, with a genetic distance of 0.10, providing insights into interspecies relationships.