Molecular Identification of the Red Rusty Flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst.) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

A study was conducted to classify the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, using the molecular diagnostic method employing the polymerase chain reaction technique. Five samples were collected from different locations in Baghdad, Iraq. Electrophoresis results using agarose gel revealed the presence of a DNA band of 420 base pairs when using the primers LCO1490 and HCO2198. Furthermore, nucleotide sequence analysis results indicated that all samples belonged to the T. castaneum family. These sequences were deposited in GenBank under the accession number OR912519 and exhibited close similarity to Indian (MN888508) and Thai (MK649853) insects, with 100% and 99% similarity, respectively. The COI region is considered a crucial genetic region that can be effectively applied to measure heterogeneity among closely related species within the same genus. This identification is significant from the point of view of quantifying the infestations by this pest of the grains and subsequent utilization of eco-friendly biopesticide strategies for their control in candidate locations..