Molecular Identification and Phylogenetic Analysis of Chrysomya albiceps (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Collected from Three Different Localities in Egypt

Rashed, Salwa Sayed; Khater, Emad E.I; Badawy, Rawda M.; Radwan, Abdalla H.; Zaher, Eman

doi:10.21608/bfszu.2025.354485.1470

Molecular Identification and Phylogenetic Analysis of Chrysomya albiceps (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Collected from Three Different Localities in Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

² Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbasia, Egypt

³ Zoology department, faculty of science, zagazig University, zagazig, Egypt

⁴ Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt

10.21608/bfszu.2025.354485.1470

Abstract

Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann 1819) is an important parasitic blow fly species known to cause myiasis in livestock and occasionally in humans. Its capacity to infest wounds and induce severe tissue damage makes it a significant species in both veterinary and public health fields. The accurate identification of fly species colonizing a corpse is crucial in forensic disciplines, serving as the initial step in estimating the minimum time since death, the minimum postmortem interval. DNA barcoding is a powerful technique for identifying fly species besides traditional morphological identification. This study aimed to identify one of the most forensically important blow fly species, Chrysomya albiceps, collected from three regions in Egypt using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COX1) gene. Adult fly samples were collected from Menofia, Port-Said, and El-Sharkia governorates using meat-baited traps, morphologically identified, then DNA was extracted from C. albiceps specimens, and a region ~703 bp fragment of the COI gene was amplified, visualized, and finally sequenced. Sequence analysis revealed no significant intraspecific divergence in C. albiceps specimens captured from different geographical regions in Egypt. Accordingly, the neighbor-joining tree using the Tamura-Nei model illustrated reciprocal monophyly between species. Thus, these approaches serve as promising tools for molecular identification of this common forensically important blow fly species in Egypt.

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