A low-cost solution for tracking small-bodied insects in the field: Developing solar-powered, active RFID tags

小体昆虫的快速移动，如大黄蜂和蜜蜂，很难被严格记录下来。尽管存在昆虫监测工具和技术，但它们受到大小、范围和可靠性的限制，无法用来理解授粉、基因流动、疾病传播和其他景观尺度的现象。科学家已经使用无线电频率技术来跟踪较大的动物，如鸟类和哺乳动物，但电池供电的无线电发射器太大太重，除了最大的飞行昆虫外，所有人都无法携带。谐波雷达已经被用来跟踪大黄蜂，尽管这个系统被证明非常有用，但也有一些严重的局限性。谐波雷达需要一个3厘米的天线垂直地固定在蜜蜂的背上，有效地防止蜜蜂进入它的巢穴并从花中采集资源。此外，该系统只能在直接视线范围内工作，这意味着如果蜜蜂飞到树篱等中间物体后面，信号就会丢失。谐波雷达也非常昂贵，高科技设备的成本高达数百万英镑。我们的项目将开发一种新的、尖端的跟踪系统，使用微小的太阳能驱动的微芯片，这种芯片粘在小型昆虫身上，而不会影响它们正常飞行和觅食的能力。每个微芯片-或有源射频识别(RFID)标签-发出唯一的信号，以识别在探测器单元半径1-2米范围内捕获的单个昆虫。一旦在英国皇家植物园的实验中为蜜蜂开发并演示了这项技术，就可以在野外使用。现场部署的探测器网络可以放置在散布在景观周围的一片片鲜花中，以跟踪被标记的蜜蜂的距离和路径。这种追踪昆虫的方法以前从未尝试过。为什么跟踪昆虫的运动模式会很有用？通过研究昆虫的运动、迁徙和行为，科学家可以帮助为影响物种和生态系统的多样性、健康和持久性的重要生态问题提供答案。例如，近几十年来，全球蜜蜂数量的大幅下降引发了人们对野花和农作物基本授粉服务减少的担忧。随着利用这项新技术追踪昆虫传粉者，研究将更好地了解栖息地碎片化和新烟碱类杀虫剂对传粉者及其提供的授粉服务的影响，这些影响基本上是未知的。例如，这项技术还可以用于研究外来害虫的活动，这些害虫对当地动植物产生巨大影响，每年给农民造成严重的经济损失。通过了解这些害虫的要求，我们将能够更好地制定控制策略。这些只是几个及时的例子，说明通过使用新技术，研究昆虫的运动如何对理解我们周围的世界产生更广泛的影响。新的信息将帮助我们为子孙后代更有效地保护和保护自然。

The rapid movements of small-bodied insects, such as bumblebees and honeybees, are difficult to rigorously document. Although insect monitoring tools and techniques exist they are too limited by size, range and reliability to be used for understanding pollination, gene flow, disease movement and other landscape-scale phenomena. Scientists have used radio frequency technology to track larger animals, such as birds and mammals, but the battery-powered radio transmitters are too big and heavy to be carried by all but the largest flying insects. Harmonic radar has been used to track bumblebees and, although this system has proved very useful, there are some severe limitations. Harmonic radar requires a 3 cm aerial to be attached vertically to a bee's back, effectively preventing the bee from accessing its nest and gathering resources from flowers. Also, the system only works on direct line of sight, meaning the signal is lost if a bee flies behind an intervening object such as a hedge. Harmonic radar is also very expensive costing millions of pounds for the hi-tech equipment. Our project will develop a new, cutting-edge tracking system using tiny, solar- powered microchips that are glued to small-bodied insects without affecting their ability to fly and forage normally. Each microchip - or active radio frequency identification (RFID) tag - emits a unique signal to identify individual insects that is picked-up within a 1-2 m radius of a detector unit. Once developed and demonstrated for bees in experiments at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the technology could be used in the wild. A network of field-deployed detectors could be positioned within patches of flowers dotted around the landscape to track the distances and paths of tagged bees. This approach to tracking insects has never been attempted before. Why would it be useful to track insect movement patterns? By studying insect movement, migration and behaviour, scientists can help to provide answers to important ecological questions that impact the diversity, health and persistence of species and ecosystems. For example, major worldwide declines in bee numbers in recent decades have raised concerns over reductions in essential pollination services to wildflowers and crops. With the use of the new technology to track insect pollinators, studies would provide a better understanding of the largely unknown impacts of habitat fragmentation and neonicotinoid pesticides on pollinators and the pollination services they provide. The technology could also be used, for example, to study the movements of alien insect pests that have dramatic impacts on native flora and fauna and cause serious economic losses to farmers every year. By understanding the requirements of these pests we will be better able to devise control strategies. These are just a few timely examples of how, with the use of the new technology, studying insect movement has wider reaching consequences for understanding the world around us. The new information would help us to more effectively conserve and protect nature for future generations.