DNA-based methods found highly effective for identifying insect species

A team of researchers from Linnaeus University and Linköping University, extensively evaluated DNA barcoding and metabarcoding methods. A comprehensive study has demonstrated that DNA-based methods are remarkably reliable for identifying insect species and estimating biodiversity. Barcoding approaches offer robust and resource-efficient alternatives to traditional taxonomic identification, which is promising news for biodiversity research and conservation efforts.

Insects are the most species-rich animal group on Earth. However, most species have not yet been described, and little is known about their distribution, their role in the ecosystem, and how they are affected by environmental conditions and climate change. This is partly because it is time-consuming and challenging for taxonomists to identify large numbers of insects using traditional approaches based on their physical appearance.

The study, published in Molecular Ecology Resources, shows that modern molecular techniques based on short sequences of the genetic code, DNA-barcoding, can help solve this problem.

“The results showed that DNA metabarcoding can effectively estimate species’ presence as well as relative abundance when using standardized sampling methods. Our findings demonstrate that DNA-based methods are not just complementary tools but are becoming robust alternatives to traditional taxonomic approaches,” says Romana Salis, postdoctoral researcher at Linnaeus University.

The researchers compared these molecular techniques with traditional morphological identification approaches used by taxonomists, analyzing over 26,000 insect specimens—including butterflies, bumblebees, and parasitic wasps.

“The ability to quickly and accurately identify insect species is crucial for monitoring their population trends, assess ecosystem health and implement effective conservation strategies,” Professor Anders Forsman explains.

They also conducted a comprehensive review of 99 previous investigations. The study offers the most complete picture to date of how DNA-based identification methods perform.

“The findings are significant for conservation efforts, validating faster and more efficient methods for biodiversity assessment. However, we also discovered important research gaps, with some insect groups and geographic regions being significantly understudied,” Salis affirms.

The authors emphasize the need for continued collaboration between molecular biologists and taxonomists to refine these methods further.

“Future efforts should focus on understudied yet ecologically important taxa and currently underrepresented geographic regions, especially in biodiversity hotspots where many species remain to be discovered and documented,” concludes Markus Franzén, Associate Professor at Linköping University.