FAVIS: Fast and versatile protocol for non-destructive metabarcoding of bulk insect samples

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Genomics
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Insect diversity and abundance are declining, necessitating robust monitoring methods.
• Current metabarcoding protocols for insect samples lack standardization, hindering large-scale studies.
• Metabarcoding offers a cost-effective approach for insect community characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a standardized, non-destructive metabarcoding protocol for high-throughput processing of bulk insect samples.
• To optimize the protocol for Malaise trap samples and other bulk collections.
• To provide a repeatable method for assessing insect species richness, relative abundance, and biomass.

Main Methods:

• Detailed four-section protocol: workspace preparation, sample processing (non-destructive lysis, biomass measurement), DNA extraction, and library preparation.
• Utilizes readily available reagents and suggests low-cost alternatives for expensive infrastructure.
• Applied to over 7000 Malaise trap samples from Sweden and Madagascar.

Main Results:

• The protocol yields comprehensive data on species present, their relative read abundances, and overall insect biomass.
• Demonstrated data yield from a subset of processed samples.
• Successful application to a large number of diverse insect samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed protocol is effective for high-throughput, non-destructive metabarcoding of insect communities.
• It facilitates large-scale and repeatable insect monitoring essential for understanding biodiversity.
• The protocol supports comprehensive ecological assessments and conservation efforts.