Table 4 Overview of the advantages and disadvantages of next-generation sequencing barcodes compared to morphological identification
From: A barcoding pipeline for mosquito surveillance in Nepal, a biodiverse dengue-endemic country
| Â | NGS barcodes | Morphological identification |
|---|---|---|
Costs | -Cheap when many individuals are multiplexed -Relatively high costs when only analyzing few samples | -Only costs are manpower given adequate equipment |
Time | -Time per sample drastically reduced when using large-scale multiplexing | -Fast when only few individuals need to be identified |
Training | -Few days of training needed for beginners | -Extensive training needed |
Reliability | -Highly specific given adequate database | -Highly specific given adequate training, the existence of identification keys, and adequate morphologically discriminating characteristics |
-Adaptable to large range of species | -Different experts needed when analyzing different groups of species | |
-Reliable for cryptic species | -Unreliable for cryptic species |