Metabarcoding and Environmental DNA for Insect Biodiversity Assessment in Indian Ecosystems: Moving Beyond Traditional Nets

Abstract

Insects are the most species-rich and critical animal clade, but detailed taxonomic and diversity information is partial in many groups and regions. Morphology-based taxonomy using particular characters, such as wing venation, genitalia, and pilosity, has always been the basis; however, it is continually restricted by various constraints including cryptic species, damaged specimens, and immature life stages. In the past two decades DNA-based approaches including DNA barcoding, metabarcoding, genome skimming and whole-genome sequencing have transformed entomological studies by enabling the high-throughput delimitation of species and the profiling of insect diversity both on a voucher specimen level and on environmental DNA (eDNA). The recent loss of insect abundance is a danger to various ecosystem services, crop productivity and sustainable food security particularly in Indian agroecosystems. Morphology-based monitoring is usually difficult, expertise-constrained and not usually sufficient to capture taxonomic richness in insect communities. In comparison, molecular methodologies including metabarcoding and eDNA delivery are efficient non-destructive and non-invasive to detecting species of all habitats and life-stages, including elusive or cryptic species. This review critically examines how these methods can transform insect biodiversity monitoring in India’s various ecosystems. Surveys integrated workflows combining morphology and molecular data (cybertaxonomy), outlines methodological best practices from field sampling to bioinformatics, identifies limitations, and proposes priorities for expanding regional barcode reference libraries, metadata standardization, and equitable capacity building a “Beyond the Net” framework supporting both biodiversity science, applied conservation, biosecurity, agro-economy and insect forensics.