Identifying invertebrate species in Arctic muskox dung using DNA barcoding

The Arctic is undergoing strong environmental changes, affecting species and whole biological communities. To assess the impact on these communities, including their composition and functions, we need more information on their current distribution and biology. In the High-Arctic tundra, dung from animals, such as muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus), is a relatively understudied microhabitat that may be attractive for organisms like dung-feeding insects as well as gastrointestinal parasites. Using a DNA barcoding approach, we examined muskox droppings from two Greenlandic regions for dung-dwelling invertebrates. In 15% of all samples, we found the DNA of insect species in the orders Diptera and Lepidoptera. The saprophagous Diptera colonized dung differently in west versus north-east Greenland and summer versus winter. In addition, we found muskox dung harbouring endoparasitic nematodes in samples from both regions. However, we could not find traces of saprophagous arthropods, such as collembolans and mites, from the soil sphere. Our pilot study sheds a first light on the invertebrates living in this neglected Arctic microhabitat.