Methods testing for collecting and identifying pollen loads on moths

Partnership seed-funded project – Methods testing for collecting and identifying pollen loads on moths

As part of a wider proposal to analyse the impacts of light pollution on UK moth communities and associated plant pollination, a team comprising Simon Potts, Mike Garratt (University of Reading), and Ian Barnes, Geoff Martin, David Lees, Jordan Beasley and Alberto Zilli (NHM) devised a pilot study to test and appraise different approaches for collecting and identifying pollen found on Lepidopteran museum specimens. Afte reviewing the digitised records of the UK Lepidoptera collection, the team conducted a preliminary analysis of the 600,000 digitised records of moths held by the museum in order to identify sites with long chrono-sequences of individual moth species.

Establishing the most important area of moth specimens to undertake moth pollinator studies presents difficulties. Therefore a technician was recruited at the NHM to work with the Hadeninae and Plusiinae species collections and test four methods for extracting and identifying pollen from moth specimens. These included 1) Removal of the proboscis, palp and foreleg for molecular analysis, 2) Fuchsin jelly swabs for light microscopy, 3) Variable Pressure SEM and 4) Raman Spectroscopy and FTIR Spectroscopy. For each the approach was refined and benefits and limitation were discussed, work which will inform future methods and research.

This preliminary work has formed the basis of a PhD project proposal, and a report reviewing approaches for pollen extraction from moths and testing and practically appraising the four approaches, presenting potential applications and limitations.

Seed-Funding is available to support the development of collaborative projects to be undertaken by researchers at the University of Reading and the Natural History Museum.