Questionable Species Names for Distinct Species Clusters: An Empirical Test of the BOLD Molecular Identification Engine
Journal: Insects
Year: 2025

DNA barcoding is an effective method for species identification, but its practical application, as implemented in the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD), faces numerous challenges. In our work, we conducted an empirical test of this approach using butterflies of the Volga River region in eastern Europe as a model system. We demonstrate that DNA barcoding is a powerful tool for identifying species clusters of the local fauna studied. However, assigning the identified clusters to scientific specie