Diversity of Diptera in Bohol Island, Philippines, using DNA barcodes

Studying island systems offers a great advantage to look into diversity of organisms because this provides opportunity for both dispersal, isolation mechanisms and key to conservation. The study was conducted to determine the diversity of true flies in Bohol, Island, Philippines. Malaise traps were used to collect samples from different habitats. A total of 94 Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) clustering at 3% threshold were identified. The result showed a diversity index of H’=3.70. Observed diversity may be influenced by availability of heterogeneous habitats present between sampling sites and longer period of sampling. Sixty-nine (69) presumptive Diptera species belonging to eight (8) families were identified in Bohol. In addition, family Mycetophilidae showed the highest number of species in Bohol at 49.28% of the total species. Moreover, DNA barcodes showed presumptive species belonging to eight families of Diptera were found only in Magsaysay Park, Bohol. These include: Culicidae, Dolichopodidae, Empididae, Mycetophilidae, Sepsidae, Stratiomyidae, Tabanidae, and Tephritidae. This is possibly due to the unique characteristic of habitat in Magsaysay Park, Bohol, hence, a key site for conservation.