COI Gene-based Species Diagnostic Kit for Sugarcane Scale Insect, Melanaspis glomerata (Green) (Homoptera: Diaspididae).

Cytochrome c oxidase I ( COI) gene-based DNA barcode was generated for sugarcane scale insect, Melanaspis glomerata (Green). The generated DNA barcode would certainly serve as an ideal diagnostic kit for M. glomerata. The barcode developed by us (GenBank Accession Number KR153875) would probably be the first for this species. The amino acid sequence of the M. glomerata COI fragment did not have any stop codon, and the uninterrupted open reading frame confirmed the quality of the DNA barcode. The extent of identity between the COI sequences of sugarcane scale and other three species of Diaspidids ( Aonidiella aurantii, A. taxus and Melanaspis bromeliae) varied between 87.37 and 88.75 %. Therefore, the barcode generated in this study could easily delineate M. glomerata from other armoured scales of economic importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]