Student 10-Minute Presentation
Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity
Student
Student Competition
Colleen Meidt
PhD Student
Utah State University
Logan, Utah
Terry Griswold
Research Entomologist
USDA-ARS
Logan, Utah
Joseph Wilson
Utah Valley University
Tooele, Utah
Jeremy B. Jensen
MS Student
Utah State University
Logan, Utah
Frank Parker
USDA-ARS
Logan, Utah
Jenny Gan
Biological Sciences Technician
USDA-ARS
Logan, Utah
Michael G. Branstetter
Research Entomologist
USDA-ARS
Logan, Utah
The southwestern United States is one of the richest areas on earth for bees. Located in the eastern Mojave Desert of Clark County, NV, Gold Butte National Monument (GBNM) is federally protected land within a global diversity hotspot for pollinators. Here, we report on a one-year study of the first-ever survey of the bees of GBNM. Using opportunistic and passive sampling methods, we collected approximately 8,000 specimens over ten consecutive months across 70 different locations. To facilitate identification and bridge gaps in barcoding capabilities, we incorporated DNA barcoding using Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing and developed novel methods using curated and identified specimens from this survey. All 340 species were barcoded and will be added to the BOLD database. The aims of this project were to construct the first-ever species list of GBNM using both traditional and new identification methods, barcode every species and specimen of questionable identity, and generate a streamlined protocol using MinION for bee species identification. Through the development of this barcoding protocol, we aspire to provide guidance and bridge the gap in reference barcode libraries for future surveys of native bee species.