From field courses to DNA barcoding data release for West Papua-making specimens and identifications from university courses more sustainable

Abstract

The diversity of insects collected during entomological field courses at the University of West Papua (UNIPA), Indonesia, is studied using DNA barcoding tools. The results were compared with public data available for West Papua in the Barcode of Life Data System. During two training courses in 2013 and 2015, 1,052 specimens of insects were collected at eight sites near Manokwari in northern West Papua. The DNA sequences obtained from these specimens were assigned to 311 Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) and represent species in 27 families of Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera and Coleoptera. Of those BINs, 294 (95%) were new to West Papua. The study suggests that DNA barcoding applied to university courses achieves several goals, including capacity building and hands-on experience in molecular biodiversity assessment. In addition, it can provide valuable biodiversity data that are globally available to researchers for further studies.