How to assess insect biodiversity without wasting your time

The diversity and ecological importance of insects makes them very valuable for studies of biodiversity. However, the same overwhelming diversity means that valid and useful results will only be obtained if studies are properly planned. This synopsis outlines the steps required for appropriate biodiversity assessments. Steps that have to be planned from the outset are: definition of objectives, gathering of existing and background information, development of a plan for the project as a whole, definition of level of detail, site selection, selection of taxa, duration of study, selection of sampling methods, quality control of actual sampling, sorting and preparation of samples, identification of material, data management, curation and disposition of specimens, and publication and dissemination of information. The initial definition of objectives is especially important so that studies will answer specific questions, not just generate isolated sets of general information. Planning in advance for identification to species is essential, because using the results requires specific identifications, yet expertise for proper identification is limited. Indeed, project resources may well have to be explicitly devoted to the development of expertise for identification. Finally, it is very important that results are available in the published scientific literature, and not just in unpublished reports, and that voucher specimens remain available, both to validate progress toward the project objectives, and to add to the fund of knowledge that is required to make real advances in understanding biodiversity.