DNA barcoding-technological advancement to bridge taxonomic identification and molecular systematics in species delineation of Indian spider

Abstract

In current years, DNA barcoding has come to be an effective tool in molecular identification of species because it is a simple, quick and specific method. Advances in the molecular branch of biology over the last few decades has reshaped systematic biology and taxonomy. The biological effects of worldwide climate led to increase in the need to identify emerging organisms in order to conserve different species as increasingly their habitats continue to be destroyed. In this study, through isolation of genomic DNA and amplification of certain mitochondrial region (COI), we have identified a new cryptic species of spider found in West Bengal, India. Although our collected spiders diverged genetically, they did not translate to change in their ecology, morphology or behavior under different environmental conditions which indicates that this technological framework for quick and precise species identification is DNA barcoding.