Abai, MR

6th International Congress of DipterologyMolecular identification of some forensically importantblowfly species (Diptera: Calliphoridae) from IndiaSharma, S. & D. SinghDepartment of Zoology, Punjabi University, Patiala-147 002, Indiae-mail: Rapid and accurate identification of an insect specimen collected from acadaver is of prime importance in forensic entomology basedinvestigations. Traditionally, the identification is performed using thediagnostic morphological characters of the insect. However, thesecharacters may bear striking similarity especially in the immature stages ofdifferent species. Moreover, the availability of only the fragmented adultsand larvae of the insects, on the crime scene may further complicate theidentification. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis seems to be a logicalsolution in such cases. The present study comprised of the sequencing of ashort segment of 480 bp from the mitochondrial gene for cytochromeoxidase subunit I (COI) to identify some blowflies of forensic importancefrom India. The sequences were obtained for 21 specimens belonging tosubfamilies Chrysomyinae, Luciliinae and Calliphorinae. The phylogeneticanalysis of the data revealed groupings according to the genus. The presentsequence database will provide a baseline data for further molecularstudies in India.Key Words: identification, Calliphoridae, forensic entomology, MtDNA,COI gene∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗223