The UK Harvestman Barcode Library -Appeal for Specimens

摘要

We are pleased to announce a new B.A.S. funded project that will produce reference DNA barcodes for all of the species of harvestmen in Britain.DNA barcodes are short sections of mitochondrial DNA that are very similar within a species, but vary considerably between different species. By comparing the DNA barcode of your specimen to others held in online depositories, you can assign it to a particular species (if it matches), or investigate how closely related your specimen is to other species. Barcoding can be a very helpful tool when studying species such as Dicranopalpus ramosus and D. caudatus, which share similar morphologies and require careful examination to differentiate (see p. 4).