Species diversity is critical for resilient freshwater ecosystems and species-level identification is often advocated for the fine-scale invertebrate biomonitoring in freshwater systems (Lenat & Resh, 2001). This study aimed to sequence the COI mtDNA barcode region for common species of diving beetles (Dytiscidae) and sandflies (Ceratopogonidae) in Greater Melbourne to clarify their taxonomy and to later detect them using environmental DNA approach.
During the course of the study, we found an unusually large number of Dytiscidae species (three to four times the average) in patchily distributed, mostly ephemeral sites. The predicted ecological site condition driven by climatic conditions and surrounding land use did not always explain this patchy distribution of Dytiscidae-rich sites. Efficient species detecting methods are necessary not only for fine-scale diagnostics of changes among sites but also for identification of patterns of biodiversity in order to understand and preserve it.