DNA barcoding invasive insects: database roadblocks

Abstract

This study examines the genetic data coverage and availability in the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD), versions 2.5 and 3.0, and GenBank for the 88 invasive insects listed in the Global Invasive Species Database (http://www.issg.org). No data are recorded in either BOLD or GenBank for seven of those species. As a dedicated repository of curated barcode data BOLD is either missing data or contains inaccessible private data for 37 (42%) of the species while no data are available in GenBank for nine (8%) of the species. An evaluation of the Barcode Identification Number (BIN) scheme in BOLD ver. 3.0 was also evaluated and in 41% of cases the BIN contained more than one species. This essentially arose due to the 1% delimitation thresholds associated with the BINs and would result in misidentifications. Overall, more information is available from GenBank for the 88 invasive species listed on the Global Invasive Species Database, but quality checking is required to ensure that the data extracted from GenBank are of sufficient quality to make it useful. The implications of these results are discussed, with investment in parallel data silos suggested to be both costly and potentially an inefficient use of resources that may lead to loss of data if the means needed to maintain these databases become unavailable.