Passion for Taxonomy Faces Crisis as Biting Midges Await Discovery

Aging taxonomic community struggles to find replacements as DNA barcoding threatens to make their expertise obsolete

Apr. 13, 2026 at 6:51am

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A bold, abstract painting in muted greens, browns, and blues, featuring sweeping geometric shapes and intricate botanical spirals, conceptually representing the complex taxonomy and interconnected relationships of the biting midge insect group.As the taxonomic community faces a crisis of replacement, the hidden diversity of biting midges remains at risk of being overlooked, underscoring the vital importance of preserving this essential scientific discipline.Norfolk Today

The world of taxonomy, the classification and naming of living organisms, is facing an unprecedented crisis as the aging taxonomic community grapples with a lack of replacement scientists. The invention of DNA barcoding has contributed to the decline of traditional taxonomy, as it offers a rapid way to identify species but falls short in documenting their intricate details. This has led to a growing concern that taxonomists' expertise is becoming obsolete, putting the future of this essential science in jeopardy, especially for groups like biting midges that have tens of thousands of undiscovered species.

Why it matters

The decline of taxonomy has far-reaching implications for fields like nature restoration and the illegal wildlife trade. As the world grapples with the biodiversity crisis, the importance of taxonomy cannot be overstated. The risk of 'orphan groups' like biting midges becoming overlooked is very real, threatening our understanding of the natural world.

The details

The story of biting midges, a group of flies that taxonomist Art Borkent has dedicated his life to studying, highlights the urgency of this issue. While DNA barcoding offers a quick way to identify species, it fails to capture the nuances of their behavior, habitat preferences, and interactions - details that are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of these insects. This has led to a growing concern that the taxonomic expertise required to document these intricate details is becoming obsolete.

  • The aging taxonomic community is struggling to find replacement scientists to continue their work.

The players

Art Borkent

A taxonomist who has dedicated his life to studying biting midges, a group of flies with tens of thousands of undiscovered species.

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The takeaway

The passion for taxonomy must be allowed to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of scientific discovery, or risk the loss of crucial expertise that is essential for understanding and protecting the natural world.