How Technology and Communities Are Decoding Biodiversity
In the incredibly diverse ecosystems of species-rich countries, millions of insects flutter, crawl, and burrow, most without a scientific name or documented role in our planet's health. This article explores the exciting new tools and collaborative approaches revolutionizing the field of insect taxonomy and helping scientists document this overwhelming diversity faster than ever before.
Have you ever wondered how we make sense of the millions of insect species sharing our planet? The science behind this is insect taxonomy—the practice of identifying, naming, and classifying insects. This isn't just about stamping labels on museum specimens; it's the foundational work that allows us to understand ecology, implement conservation strategies, and track the health of our ecosystems 1 5 .
of the world's insects are formally described 4
The task is especially urgent in species-rich countries, which are home to the greatest insect diversity but often lack the resources to document it. With a global shortage of taxonomic experts, the race is on to document this diversity before it is lost to extinction. Fortunately, the field is undergoing a revolution, integrating cutting-edge technology with community power to tackle this immense challenge.
Taxonomy provides the essential framework for understanding biodiversity, which is critical for ecosystem management, conservation planning, and tracking environmental changes.
To appreciate the new revolution, one must understand the traditional system. Insect classification follows a hierarchical structure, as seen in the example of the marmalade hoverfly below :
| Taxonomic Rank | Example: Marmalade Hoverfly |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Diptera |
| Family | Syrphidae |
| Genus | Episyrphus |
| Species | balteatus |
This system, pioneered by Carl Linnaeus, gives us the binomial nomenclature (e.g., Episyrphus balteatus), a two-word, universally recognized name that avoids the confusion of common names 1 .
Insects are defined as animals with six legs, three body sections (head, thorax, abdomen), antennae, and a hard exoskeleton 1 . They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet.
Beetles
Ants, wasps, and bees
Butterflies and moths
True flies
Cicadas and true bugs
A pivotal 2022 study by Ong and Hamid directly tested the capability of AI to classify insects at different taxonomic levels 3 6 . The researchers designed a rigorous experiment to answer a critical question: Could a single AI model handle classification at every level, from order to genus?
Researchers used a DSLR camera in a controlled lightbox to capture high-quality images of insect specimens from collections 3 .
The insect images were annotated according to three taxonomic ranks. The team used data augmentation to artificially increase the dataset's size 3 .
The study compared four state-of-the-art Deep Convolutional Neural Network architectures: InceptionV3, VGG19, MobileNetV2, and Xception 3 .
The results were revealing. The study found that no single AI algorithm was best for all taxonomic levels 3 . The InceptionV3 model performed best for distinguishing order and family, but different algorithms showed varying strengths and weaknesses at the genus level 3 6 .
| Taxonomic Rank | Example Class | InceptionV3 F1-Score |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Hemiptera | 0.75 |
| Family | Rhiniidae | 0.79 |
| Genus | Lucilia | Lowest Performance |
Performance decreases at finer taxonomic levels
Order Level (F1-Score: 0.75) Family Level (F1-Score: 0.79) Genus Level (Lowest Performance)Technology is not the only force driving taxonomy forward. Facing a shortage of experts and funding, scientists are increasingly turning to citizen science and community engagement to bridge the gap 4 5 .
of new insect species descriptions in Europe (1998-2007) were authored by non-professionals 5
Projects like Insect Investigators in Australia showcase this power. In 2022, fifty rural schools set up Malaise traps, collecting over 60,000 specimens from remote areas 4 . Students were not just collectors; they participated in the entire taxonomic process, from learning about the insects to brainstorming and voting on scientific names for new species of parasitoid wasps, like Mirax ceduna 4 .
Schools Participating
Specimens Collected
"This model does more than just generate data; it inspires a new generation of budding entomologists and builds a lasting public connection with and appreciation for the natural world 4 ."
The way forward for insect taxonomy in species-rich countries is not reliant on a single silver bullet. The future lies in integrative taxonomy—the synergy of different approaches 5 . This means:
Using deep learning for rapid initial sorting, followed by detailed morphological verification by experts.
By embracing this multi-pronged strategy, we can accelerate the daunting task of documenting Earth's incredible insect diversity. This is not just an academic exercise; it is essential work for understanding ecosystem health, managing pests, and conserving the complex web of life that sustains us all. The journey to discover and name our insect relatives has just become faster, more collaborative, and more exciting than ever.