# Species identification of livefood flightless fly (Torinido‐shoujoubae) through DNA barcoding

## TL;DR

This study used DNA barcoding to identify a commercially sold flightless fruit fly, known as Torinido-shoujoubae, as Drosophila hydei.

## Contribution

The study provides the first molecular confirmation of the species identity of Torinido-shoujoubae using DNA barcoding.

## Key findings

- Torinido-shoujoubae samples from four suppliers were all identified as Drosophila hydei.
- DNA barcoding confirmed the species identity despite the lack of prior scientific classification.

## Abstract

Torinido‐shoujoubae, as it is called in Japanese, is a flightless Drosophila sp. that is sold commercially in Japan. This Drosophila sp. is often used as feeds for model organisms such as reptiles and spiders. There is no scientific name provided for the fruit fly that is known as Torinido‐shoujoubae, as well as any historical background or data behind this species. There has been a previous study that was conducted through morphological characteristics analysis of the body as well as the male copulatory organ and has been estimated as Drosophila hydei. The objective of this study was to determine the species of this unidentified fly known as Torinido‐shoujoubae based on a molecular evidence with a DNA barcoding. Samples were purchased from four separate suppliers to examine whether there are any differences between them. COI regions were amplified using PCR and the sequenced results were aligned against two databases, NCBI and BOLD. Torinido‐shoujoubae samples provided from all suppliers were confirmed to be D. hydei.

Torinido‐shoujoubae, a flightless Drosophila sp. sold commercially, is often used as feed for model organisms like reptiles and spiders. This study used DNA barcoding to determine that Torinido‐shoujoubae samples from four different suppliers were all identified as Drosophila hydei.