Innsbruck researchers use flower DNA to map insects

Researchers at the University of Innsbruck are studying flower strips on agricultural land across Austria to determine which insects use particular plants, ORF reports. DNA traces left on flowers are being analysed to help develop improved seed mixtures adapted to local conditions.

Flower strips along fields, meadows and orchards provide insects with food and habitat. They can support pollinators and attract beneficial insects that help regulate pests. The university’s FlowerPower project is examining how the plant composition of these areas affects insect diversity.

Washing flowers to identify insect visitors

When insects land on flowers, they leave behind traces such as body cells, faeces or urine. This environmental DNA, known as eDNA, remains on the plants.

Researchers collect individual flowers and wash them separately according to plant species. They then extract insect DNA from the water, sequence it in a laboratory and identify the species, explains zoologist and project leader Michael Traugott of the University of Innsbruck.

The method allows researchers to survey insect visitors in detail without catching and identifying insects individually. It is intended to show which species visit a flower strip and which plants they prefer.

Research could improve seed mixtures

Traugott said the findings could be particularly useful for agriculture. Austria’s Programme for Environmentally Sound Agriculture requires biodiversity areas on mown grassland and arable land. Flower strips must account for 7 percent of these areas, which are supported by the European Union and the federal government. In 2023, intentionally created biodiversity areas covered more than 140,000 hectares in Austria.

The project aims to determine how flower strips can support even more insects. Farmers need to know which insects are present and what functions they perform. Many act as pollinators, while others help control pests. Some may also be unwanted because they can cause problems in certain crops, Traugott said.

The results are expected to support the development of seed mixtures containing a wide variety of native plants suited to local conditions. The aim is to provide different insect species with food and habitat throughout the season.

Farmers collect samples across Austria

Fifty farmers from across Austria are taking part in the project. As citizen scientists, they collect flower samples from their biodiversity areas and send them to the laboratory in Innsbruck for analysis.

They will receive the results in autumn, including information about which organisms live in their flower strips and how the areas might be improved, Traugott said. The participation of the farms is intended to help transfer the research findings quickly into agricultural practice.

Project partners include HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein, Bio Austria and the Bodenleben association.

Drought affects flowering plants

The surveys depend heavily on weather conditions. Insects are less active during rain, strong winds and low temperatures. Long periods of drought can also damage flower strips, said Lavinia König, a master’s student working on the project.

König is travelling five times this summer to Salzburg, Styria, Lower Austria and Upper Austria to collect samples. She said flower strips, like all plants, need enough water to survive. During recent sampling in Lower Austria, the researchers observed deep cracks in the soil and sparse vegetation.