TY - JOUR
T1 - The use and prospects of non-lethal methods in entomology
AU - Lövei, Gabor L
AU - Ferrante, Marco
PY - 2024/1
Y1 - 2024/1
N2 - Arthropods are declining globally, and entomologists ought to be in the forefront of protecting them. However, entomological study methods are typically lethal, and we argue that this makes the ethical status of the profession precarious. Lethal methods are used in most studies, even those that aim to support arthropod conservation. Additionally, almost all collecting methods result in bycatch, and a first step toward less destructive research practices is to minimize bycatch and/or ensure its proper storage and use. In this review, we describe the available suite of nonlethal methods with the aim of promoting their use. We classify nonlethal methods into (a) reuse of already collected material, (b) methods that are damaging but not lethal, (c) methods that modify behavior, and (d) true nonlethal methods. Artificial intelligence and miniaturization will help to extend the nonlethal methodological toolkit, but the need for further method development and testing remains.
AB - Arthropods are declining globally, and entomologists ought to be in the forefront of protecting them. However, entomological study methods are typically lethal, and we argue that this makes the ethical status of the profession precarious. Lethal methods are used in most studies, even those that aim to support arthropod conservation. Additionally, almost all collecting methods result in bycatch, and a first step toward less destructive research practices is to minimize bycatch and/or ensure its proper storage and use. In this review, we describe the available suite of nonlethal methods with the aim of promoting their use. We classify nonlethal methods into (a) reuse of already collected material, (b) methods that are damaging but not lethal, (c) methods that modify behavior, and (d) true nonlethal methods. Artificial intelligence and miniaturization will help to extend the nonlethal methodological toolkit, but the need for further method development and testing remains.
KW - ethics
KW - arthropod conservation
KW - sampling
KW - monitoring
KW - insect decline
KW - Animals
KW - Artificial Intelligence
KW - Arthropods
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85180648614&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1146/annurev-ento-120220-024402
DO - 10.1146/annurev-ento-120220-024402
M3 - Review
C2 - 37669564
SN - 0066-4170
VL - 69
SP - 183
EP - 198
JO - Annual Review of Entomology
JF - Annual Review of Entomology
ER -