DNA barcode library and its efficacy for identifying food-associated insect pests in Korea

Food-associated insect pests are of great economic and hygienic importance. However, their identification requires expert knowledge and excessive time. Such pests are discovered in food as body parts or immature stages, which further complicates the identification process. In this study, we constructed a DNA barcode dataset of insect pests that can be detected in food. We also tested the efficacy of these DNA barcode sequences for identifying food-associated insect pests. A 658 bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was analyzed from 55 species of food-associated insect pests in Korea. The results indicated that this portion of the COI gene effectively discriminated >90% of the food-associated insect pests. Mean genetic divergences among individuals belonging to one species/between species belonging to one genus of the five orders, Blattaria, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera, were 0.59%/13.18%, 0.84%/20.10%, 0.02%/22.61%, 0.24%/3.48% and 0.17%/15.90%, respectively. In conclusion, we established the first DNA barcode dataset and confirmed its efficiency for identifying food-associated insect pests in Korea.