Comparison of genetic and morphospecies identification techniques to examine a restored grassland pollinator community

Meckinok, North Dakota is a restored prairie that includes a vast amount of pollinator species. There are two methods of identification that are used to determine the genus and species of pollinators that are sampled for ecological studies. Studies at Meckinok involve research plots with differing composition of plant species. To collect pollinators, pollinator traps were used in a plot system near different plant species. After the specimens were collected, they were put in ethanol and preserved. One of these methods is to sort specimens into morphospecies. Another method utilizes a short portion of the mitochondrial gene, cytochrome oxidase I (COI = the barcode region) for species identification. It is unclear what method of insect identification is more accurate and useful for species identification in ecological research. Morphospecies were determined using microscopes and standard identification sources. These were cataloged and compared to observe which species are more prevalent in the restored grassland. The next step in this process involved taking pollinator tissue and completing a DNA extraction. After the extraction was completed, the barcode region was amplified via PCR and sequenced for both complimentary strands. Individual consensus sequences were compared to published insect sequences in GENBANK via BLAST searches. Here, we will present results that compare morphospecies determinations and barcode identifications and will provide a preliminary list of pollinators for this restored prairie.