Tiny bits of insects are collected from public transport and examined in the DNA laboratory. Animal documentary meets CSI, you might think. The team from the Department of Zoology at the University of Innsbruck has a different road movie in mind: "Insect bus monitoring" is the name of their research project.
For the first time the biodiversity of flying insects is being recorded for large areas with meticulous DNA work. This is important because insect is declining. If insects become less, important pollinators, aphid killers and food for other animals will be missing. The investigative work begins when public buses return from their tours in Tyrol, Carinthia, Lower Austria and Upper Austria. The researchers remove insect remains sticking on the front parts of busses. Then, special filters are used to isolate the DNA, which will be analyzed in the laboratory. This reveals which flying insects occur in Austria. The project, which is funded by the Austrian Biodiversity Fund, the Austrian Climate Protection Ministry and the European Union, has been running since April 2024. It’s worth it to keep your eyes open on the road and for biodiversity. Learn more about the project: https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/zoology/ibm/
