Identification of Isotomidae sp. and its skin pattern from Punjab, India by molecular and scanning electron microscopy analysis

The amount of agricultural production in India contributes significantly to the global food production and particularly in production of rice and wheat, the nation is ranked second globally. Quality of soil affects plant development, yield, and ecosystem health. Soil health and production depend on understanding the intricate interactions between soil qualities, structure, agricultural methods, and soil-dwelling organisms. Agricultural land has several Collembola species, demonstrating that these organisms can adapt to a wide range of microhabitats in different soil depths. The main objective of this study was to identify and categorize the species of Isotomidae sp. from agriculture soil using scanning electron microscope (SEM) technology and molecular characterization. The results indicated that there were several species of Collembola. Isotomidae sp. was discovered in Punjab during the survey and subsequently identified genetically. The cuticle's properties of the species using scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to analyze the surface structure of Isotomidae sp. This study identified and described Isotomidae sp. by analyzing COXI and skin patterns. Our findings suggest that COXI barcoding could be utilized to establish a precise DNA barcode reference collection for Isotomidae sp. and to resolve any disputes regarding species identification.