EXAMPLE: 

How is rarity structured within hyper diverse insect communities? (Phoridae)

Student: Thomas Wetteland Woxen
Supervisors: Emily Hartop, Ivar Herfindal

The Phoridae (scuttle flies) are a classic example of a “dark taxon”: they are extremely abundant and hyperdiverse, yet remain poorly described taxonomically and ecologically. There is no agreed upon criteria for the concept of rarity nor what species abundance distributions take across communities. For phorids it’s currently dominated by the long tail of rare species, making them an ideal system for studying patterns of rarity. 

The overarching aim of this project is to investigate how rarity is structured within hyperdiverse insect communities and how patterns of rarity emerge with increasing sampling completeness. Using intensively sampled phorid fly communities from three sites spanning southern, central, and northern Sweden, this study aims to
     (1) characterize regional species abundance distributions in a dark taxon,
     (2) assess how these distributions change through time, season, and sampling effort, 
     (3) evaluate whether regional patterns converge on abundance distributions proposed as globally universal.

A meta-analysis of Nordic Phorid fly biodiversity across diverse data types 

Student: Linnea Sørum 
Supervisors: Emily Hartop, James Speed 

To monitor and prevent losses to biodiversity, as well as to inform policy makers, it is important to have baseline knowledge of existing biodiversity. Taxonomic bias, where some taxa receive more attention and funding than others, creates understudied groups known as “dark taxa”. One such dark taxon is Phoridae (scuttle flies), which are the focus of this project.

In this project, several existing datasets from large-scale projects in Nordic countries will be used to analyze different aspects of scuttle fly biodiversity and attempt to optimize future sampling. These datasets consist of a combination of data from traditional sampling (morphologically identified specimens) and data from DNA barcoding - either individually barcoded specimens or metabarcoding.
Using this data, I aim to answer the following research questions: 

1. Does scuttle fly diversity peak during specific periods of the year? Knowing these periods could increase the efficiency of future projects, by minimizing the required sampling effort needed and maximizing the number of new species detected. 
2. How is the spatial distribution of scuttle flies structured across the Nordic region? Here I will look at how they are distributed across a latitudinal gradient and/or across different bioclimatic zones. This could provide insight into what type of areas are the most diverse and allow for more targeted projects in the future.

 
Mapping species distribution and abundance of flying insects across urban greenspace in Trondheim while comparing three insect sampling techniques.

Student: Maria Skauge Larsen  
Supervisors: Emily Hartop, Caitlin Mandeville

Dark taxa are hyperdiverse and widespread groups of organisms whose species are largely undescribed because they are difficult to collect, identify or study. For insects, this primarily includes species within Diptera (flies) and Hymenoptera (wasps and related groups). These groups are often not prioritized in urban management because their abundance and importance are largely unknown. The aim of the study is to investigate how different urban habitats affect the biodiversity of flying insects and to assess whether management actions taken to increase this diversity are effective. If so, do these habitats also support the often-overlooked dark taxa?

The study will collect insect data from different sites of urban greenspace in Trondheim, comparing biodiversity at sites where habitats have been intentionally created to support insects, green areas designed primarily for people, and natural habitats located on the outskirts of the city.

In addition, the study aims to examine two citizen science methods of insect sampling. Engaging the public in biodiversity research is an important step toward raising awareness about the significance of insect diversity and the need to prioritize it in urban management. By comparing the two methods to a standard scientific sampling method, the study aims to gain important knowledge about both the methods and the quality of the data they produce, ultimately contributing to improved overall reliability of citizen science.

The three sampling techniques will be used simultaneously during data collection to compare how they perform. The methods used will be (1) a standard trap for flying insects used in research (Malaise trap), (2) a DIY version of the Malaise trap developed by PhD candidate Lucas Geisler, designed to be made and operated by the public, and (3) a method for collecting and identifying pollinator species with schoolchildren developed by the University of Vienna through the project BiodiverCITY–Island Hopping.