TY - JOUR

T1 - Photonic sensors reflect variation in insect abundance and diversity across habitats

AU - Rydhmer, Klas

AU - Jansson, Samuel

AU - Still, Laurence

AU - Beck, Brittany D.

AU - Chatzaki, Vasileia

AU - Olsen, Karen

AU - Van Hoff, Bennett

AU - Grønne, Christoffer

AU - Meier, Jakob Klinge

AU - Montoro, Marta

AU - Schmidt, Inger Kappel

AU - Kirkeby, Carsten

AU - Smith, Henrik G.

AU - Brydegaard, Mikkel

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - To mitigate ongoing insect biodiversity declines, there is a need for efficient yet accurate monitoring methods. The use of traditional catch-based survey methods is constrained both by costs and need for expertise for manual taxonomic identification. Emerging methods, such as eDNA and robotic sorting, have the potential to reduce workload but still require resource-intensive sample collection in the field. Recently, remote sensing methods such as photonic sensors have shown promise for recording large numbers of insect observations. However, accurately determining species composition in collected data remains a challenge. In this study, we investigated the potential of photonic sensors for quantifying species richness of flying insects in the field and at five sites and compared the results with estimates based on conventional Malaise traps. Firstly, we evaluated two unsupervised clustering methods using a library of measured insect signals from 42 known species. Secondly, we correlated estimated number of clusters in data recorded at five sites with species richness assessment of catches from Malaise traps. This study is based on 84,770 library- and 238,584 field individual insect recordings. Our results demonstrate that both clustering methods perform well and reflect estimates obtained by Malaise traps, indicating the potential of automated insect biodiversity monitoring. This offers the possibility of more efficient but still accurate methods for studying insect biodiversity with broader temporal and spatial coverage.

AB - To mitigate ongoing insect biodiversity declines, there is a need for efficient yet accurate monitoring methods. The use of traditional catch-based survey methods is constrained both by costs and need for expertise for manual taxonomic identification. Emerging methods, such as eDNA and robotic sorting, have the potential to reduce workload but still require resource-intensive sample collection in the field. Recently, remote sensing methods such as photonic sensors have shown promise for recording large numbers of insect observations. However, accurately determining species composition in collected data remains a challenge. In this study, we investigated the potential of photonic sensors for quantifying species richness of flying insects in the field and at five sites and compared the results with estimates based on conventional Malaise traps. Firstly, we evaluated two unsupervised clustering methods using a library of measured insect signals from 42 known species. Secondly, we correlated estimated number of clusters in data recorded at five sites with species richness assessment of catches from Malaise traps. This study is based on 84,770 library- and 238,584 field individual insect recordings. Our results demonstrate that both clustering methods perform well and reflect estimates obtained by Malaise traps, indicating the potential of automated insect biodiversity monitoring. This offers the possibility of more efficient but still accurate methods for studying insect biodiversity with broader temporal and spatial coverage.

KW - Biodiversity

KW - Clustering

KW - Ecology

KW - Entomology

KW - Insects

KW - Modulation Spectroscopy

KW - Photonics

U2 - 10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.111483

DO - 10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.111483

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85181724709

VL - 158

JO - Ecological Indicators

JF - Ecological Indicators

SN - 1470-160X

M1 - 111483

ER -