Barcodes for two winged insects: a support project for barcoding of Diptera of medical, veterinary, agricultural and biodiversity concern

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Category: 
Flagship project
Acronym: 
BC42W
Coordinator: 
Marc De Meyer (RMCA)
JEMU partner: 
JEMU team
Project summary: 
The order of Diptera or two-winged flies, is one of the most specious insect groups in the world. They are diverse not only in species richness but also in their morphology, habitat exploitation, life histories and interactions with humankind. Regarding the latter, their impact is tremendous and cannot be overestimated. Because of their importance, there is a long history of dipteran research in different fields in Belgium, including forensic entomology, the taxonomy of fruit flies, and the diversity of syrphid pollinators. Both the RBINS and the RMCA had, and still have, a pivotal role in this research either as institutions that engaged scientists in Dipteran research, or as a centre of information and collection depository. Both institutions still perform this catalytic role and researchers of both institutions are actively involved in taxonomic, phylogenetic and ecological research of different dipteran taxa, usually in collaboration with national and international institutions that seek our expertise. All these research activities require accurate species recognition and delimitation. Yet, several dipteran taxa still pose challenging taxonomic and identification problems. Objectives: The JEMU-flagship project is proposed to expand, to reinforce and to underpin ongoing research programmes on dipteran taxonomy and morphology by a DNA barcoding component. As such the project would join current collaborative dipteran research programmes in which both RMCA and RBINS are involved either for their taxonomic expertise, or for their research facilities and reference collections. Several of these activities are conducted in close collaboration with other institutions within Belgium, such as the Institute for Tropical Medicine (Antwerp), the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre at Gembloux, or the National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology. This project will provide added value to all of these projects by approaching specific problems within the field of molecular diagnostics and DNA barcoding. The aim is to provide DNA barcodes for selected taxa as specified in the following subprojects: - Diptera of medical importance: DNA barcodes for selected groups within Ceratopogonidae and Culicidae. - Diptera in forensic entomology: DNA barcodes for selected groups within the Muscoidea and Oestroidea. - Diptera in biodiversity research: DNA barcodes for selected groups within Syrphidae and Empididae. - Diptera of agricultural importance: DNA barcodes for selected groups within Tephritidae, Cecidomyidae and Anthomyiidae.
Collaborations: 
W. Van Bortel, Institute for Tropical Medicine Stijn Desmyter and Yves Braet, National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology Patrick Grootaert, Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences Christiane Fassotte, Centre Wallon de Recherches Agronomiques
Lab work progress: 
Completed
Data analysis: 
Completed
Starting date: 
2010
Project status: 
Completed

Output:
Peer-reviewed papers

  • Jordaens, K., Goergen, G., Virgilio, M., Backeljau, T., Vokaer, A., De Meyer, M. & Casiraghi, M. 2015. DNA barcoding to improve the taxonomy of the Afrotropical hoverflies (Insecta: Diptera: Syrphidae). PLOS ONE 10: e0140264.
  • Jordaens, K., Goergen, G., Kirk-Spriggs, A.H., Vokaer, A., Backeljau, T. & De Meyer, M. 2015. A second New World hoverfly, Toxomerus floralis (Fabricius) (Diptera: Syrphidae), recorded from the Old World, with description of larval pollen-feeding ecology. Zootaxa 4044: 567-576.
  • Jordaens, K., Sonet, G., Braet, Y., De Meyer, M., Backeljau, T., Goovaerts, F., Bourguignon, L., & Desmyter, S. 2013. DNA barcoding and the differentiation between North American and West European Phormia regina (Diptera: Calliphoridae: Chrysomyinae). Zookeys 365: 149-174.
  • Sonet, G., Jordaens, J., Nagy, Z.T., Breman, F.C., De Meyer, M., Backeljau, T. & Virgilio, M. 2013. Ad hoc: an R package to calculate ad hoc distance thresholds for DNA barcoding identification. Zookeys 365: 329-336.
  • Sonet, G., Jordaens, K., Braet, Y., Bourguignon, L., Dupont, E., Backeljau, T., De Meyer, M. & Desmyter, S. 2013. Utility of GenBank and the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) for the identification of forensically important Diptera from Belgium and France. Zookeys 365: 307-328.
  • Jordaens, K., Sonet, G., Richet, R., Dupont, E., Braet, Y., & Desmyter, S. 2013. Identification of forensically important Sarcophaga species (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) using the mitochondrial COI gene. International Journal of Legal Medicine 127(2): 491-504. [IF2012: 2.587]
  • Martens, C., Mortelmans, J., Monjardez, M., Menten, J., Sonet, G. & Grootaert, P. 2013. Polietes lardarius (Fabricius, 1781) & Polietes meridionalis Peris & Llorente, 1963 in Belgium (Diptera : Muscidae). Bulletin de la Société royale belge d’Entomologie/Bulletin van de Koninklijke Belgische Vereniging voor Entomologie 149: 222-232.
  • Sonet, G., Jordaens, K., Braet, Y. & Desmyter, Stijn. 2012. Why is the molecular identification of the forensically important blowfly species Lucilia caesar and L. illustris (family Calliphoridae) so problematic? Forensic Science International 223: 153:159. [IF2012: 2.301]
  • Virgilio, M., Jordaens, K., Breman, F.C., Backeljau, T., & De Meyer, M. 2012. Identifying Insects with Incomplete DNA Barcode Libraries, African Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) as a Test Case, PLoS ONE 7 (2) p.e31581. [IF 2012: 3.730] Open access to full text (pdf).
  • Virgilio M., Backeljau T., Emeleme R., Juakali J.L. & De Meyer M. 2011. A quantitative comparison of frugivorous tephritids (Diptera: Tephritidae) in tropical forests and rural areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo. – Bulletin of Entomological Research 101: 591-597. [IF 2010: 1.909]
  • Virgilio, M., Backeljau, T., Nevado, B. & De Meyer, M. 2010. Comparative performance of DNA barcoding across insect orders. – BMC Bioinformatics 11: 206. [IF 2010: 3.028]
  • Virgilio, M., Delatte, H., Backeljau, T. & De Meyer, M. 2010. Macrogeographic population structuring in the cosmopolitan agricultural pest Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera, Tephritidae). – Molecular Ecology 19: 2713-2724. [IF 2010: 6.457]

Abstracts of conferences:

Identification of forensically important Diptera from Belgium and France using the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) and GenBank

Sonet, G., Jordaens, K., Braet, Y., Bourguignon, L., Dupont, E., Backeljau, T., De Meyer, M. & Desmyter, S.

Fifth International Barcode of Life Conference, Kunming, China, 27-31 October 2013. Volume of abstracts, p 113

DNA barcoding and molecular differentiation of West European and North American Phormia regina (Diptera; Calliphoridae)

Jordaens, K., Sonet, G., Braet, Y., Bourguignon, L., Goovaerts, F., Backeljau, T., De Meyer, M. & Desmyter, S.

Fifth International Barcode of Life Conference, Kunming, China, 27-31 October 2013, Volume of abstracts, p. 212.

Automating the calculation of the ad hoc distance thresholds for DNA barcoding identification using two R functions

Sonet, G., Jordaens, J., Nagy, Z.T., Breman, F.C., De Meyer, M., Backeljau, T. & Virgilio, M.

Fifth International Barcode of Life Conference, Kunming, China, 27-31 October 2013. Volume of abstracts, p. 174.

A first step in DNA barcoding hybotid flies (Diptera, Empidoidea)

Nagy, Z.T., Sonet, G., Mortelmans, J., Vandewynkel, C. & Grootaert, P.

Fifth International Barcode of Life Conference, Kunming, China, 27-31 October 2013. Volume of abstracts, p. 214.

Towards a molecular reference database for the identification of forensically important Sarcophaga species (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)

Jordaens, K., Sonet, G., Richet, R., Dupont, E., Braet, Y. & Desmyter, S. 

Program and abstracts book of the Third European Conference for the Barcode of Life, (17 - 20 Sept 2012, Brussels, Belgium (poster nr. 3, p. 33)

Poster Sonet Ecbol32012Molecular identification of the forensically important greenbottle fly species Lucilia caesar and L. illustris (family Calliphoridae)

Sonet, G., Jordaens, K., Braet, Y., & Desmyter, S.

Program and abstracts book of the Third European Conference for the Barcode of Life, (17 - 20 Sept 2012, Brussels, Belgium (poster nr. 4, p. 66).

Using DNA barcodes for assessing diversity of dance flies (Diptera: Empidoidea) and as a basis for phylogenetic research

Mortelmans, J., Nagy, Z. T., Sonet, G. & Grootaert, P.

Program and abstracts book of the Third European Conference for the Barcode of Life, (17 - 20 Sept 2012, Brussels, Belgium (poster nr. 11, p. 46).

Species identification of forensically important flies using DNA barcodingSpecies identification of forensically important flies using DNA barcoding.

Jordaens, K., Sonet, G., Richet, Dupont, E.,, R., Braet, Y., Desmyter, S, (2011),

Abstract book of the 4th International Barcode of Life Conference (28 Nov. - 03 Dec. 2011, Adelaide, Australia).

Turning DNA barcoding into a practical tool for insect identification. African fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) as a model.

Virgilio, M., K. Jordaens, F. Breman, T. Backeljau & M. De Meyer, (2011).

4th International Barcode of Life Conference (Adelaide, Australia).

DNA-based identification of forensically important flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae).

Jordaens, K., Sonet, G., Richet, R., Braet, Y., Desmyter, S, (2011),

Abstract book of the 7th International Congress of Systematic and Evolutionary Biology (21 - 27 Feb, Berlin, Germany).

Poster_BC42W_Rome_2011Turning DNA barcodes into an alternative tool for identification: African fruit flies as a model.

Virgilio, M., K. Jordaens, F. Breman, N. Barr, T. Backeljau & M. De Meyer, (2011).

Sixth Session of the Commision on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM6: Rome, Italy).

Poster_BC42W_Rome_Barr_2011DNA barcoding en de herkenning van invasieve soorten: fruitvliegen als voorbeeld.

Jordaens, K., F. Breman, Z. Nagy, G. Sonet, T. Backeljau & M. De Meyer. 2010. 

INBO studiedag Genetica in natuurbeleid en –beheer (Brussel, Belgium)

Molecular Identification of Ceratitis capitata (Tephritidae) and related fruit flies: Transitioning into the DNA Barcode Era.

Barr, N.B., M.S. Islam, B.A. McPheron & M. De Meyer, (2011).

Sixth Session of the Commision on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM6: Rome, Italy).

DNA barcoding as identification tool in fruit fly interception and surveying activities.

Breman, F., K. Jordaens, M. De Meyer & M. Virgilio. 2010.

8th Int. Symp. Fruit Flies Econ. Importance (Valencia, Spain): 177.

Poster_Barfly_Valencia_2010DNA barcoding as identification tool in fruit fly interception and surveying activities.

Breman, F., K. Jordaens, M. De Meyer & M. Virgilio. 2010.

17th Benelux Congress of Zoology ‘Classic Biology in Modern Times’ (Gent, Belgium): 132.

Macrogeographic population structuring in the cosmopolitan agricultural pest Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Virgilio, M., H. Delatte, T. Backeljau & M. De Meyer. 2010.

8th Int. Symp. Fruit Flies Econ. Importance (Valencia, Spain): 70.

Poster_Barfly_Valencia_2010In and out of Africa: invasion history of fruit flies on the African mainland (Diptera, Tephritidae).

De Meyer, M., S. Ekesi, M. Virgilio, F. Khamis, M. Mwatawala & A. Malacrida. 2010.

8th Int. Symp. Fruit Flies Econ. Importance (Valencia, Spain): 4

  

Short notes for the general public
De Meyer, M. 2010. Des essais de code-barres ADN sur les mouches africaines des fruits. La lutte régionale contre les mouches des fruits en Afrique subsaharienne. COLEACP Lettre d’information 2010 2 : 2 (also in English version).

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith