Taxonomy and DNA Bar Coding of Cactus Moth <i>Cactoblastis cactorum</i> (Berg)

The cactus moth Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) is endemic to the opuntia weeds around the world. Its larvae were used for biological control of both alien and native cactus weed in Pakistan in 1994 after its success in Australia. Its efficiency and side effects were not studied in Pakistan. In 2016, the moth severely devastated the cultivated Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill in district Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan. In this study, C. cactorum larvae were reported for the first time from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Full-grown larvae (6th instar) were collected to study its classical taxonomy and DNA bar coding from various selected localities. For DNA bar coding, two DNA primers were used, where both the primers showed highest value for species identification.