FIMT Barcode Database

Developed by FABI

Insect pests threaten the sustainability of Eucalyptus and Pinus plantation and natural forests worldwide. Globally the number of invasive insect pests has been shown to increase exponentially over time.

A common challenge is the accurate and rapid identification of insect pests as this has implications for management and quarantine decisions. In many instances feasible management options cannot be implemented due to the identification of the insect being unknown.

The FIMT website serves as a tool for rapid identification of insects associated with Eucalyptus and Pinus trees and is intended to assist researchers and field-based scientists focussing on forest health. The database contains sequences generated from insect pests of Eucalyptus and Pinus, generated using two mitochondrial DNA regions, namely Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) and Cytochrome b. Relevant sequences from GenBank have also been included. The insects sequenced at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute have also been morphologically identified by a taxonomist. See the About page for more information.

How to use the FIMT Barcode Database

If you want to upload a sequence to the FIMT Barcode Database navigate to the Upload and compare page. On this page it is required to enter several fields including the sequence and information regarding the sequence. This information will be used in the output file and if we wish to contact you. All information uploaded is confidential

You can paste one sequence directly into the text box on the Upload and compare page, or you can upload a file with one or multiple sequences.

The file you want to upload and compare to the FIMT Barcode Database needs to be in FASTA format (with file extention .fasta, .fas or .fna). This is the general file format for any genomic sequences. You can either submit a file containing only one sequence or a file containing multiple sequences.

Please see the following examples for a FASTA file containing a single sequence or a FASTA file containing multiple sequences

For assistance with technical difficulties or website related matters please contact h.strydom@fabi.up.ac.za or bernard.slippers@up.ac.za