Improve the identification of bactrocera dorsalis sensu lato group species and the development and implementation of a rapid approach for species identification and pathway analysis

Port intercepted material collected between 2021 and 2023 will be identified to the lowest taxonomic order using protocols developed from previous USDA-funded research. These samples will then be analyzed using genomic techniques capable of identifying species within the bactrocera dorsalis sensu clade by using a diagnostic himap panel. Material identified using this himap panel will then be compared using the previously validated methods to demonstrate the accuracy of this new genotyping method. Deliverables will include the release of DNA sequence resources to aphis and the public through genbank and reports on the identification of the port intercepted material using the COI and himap methods. These efforts will benefit the agricultural quarantine and inspection program, national identification services, and customs and border protections by providing methods to accurately identify tephritid pests of the genera bactrocera that are occasionally intercepted at ports of entries allowing for more efficient risk analysis and method development in uncovering new pathways that may brin g pests to our shores.