The study by Hajibabaei et al. (2005) demonstrates the effectiveness of DNA barcoding in identifying and discovering species of tropical Lepidoptera. The researchers used cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) DNA barcodes to analyze 4,260 adults from three Lepidoptera families (Hesperiidae, Sphingidae, and Saturniidae) in the Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. They found that 97.9% of the 521 species recognized by prior taxonomic work were unambiguously distinguishable based on their COI barcodes, with only 2.1% of species showing overlapping barcodes. The study also identified 13 species complexes, each containing two or more distinct barcode clusters, which were correlated with morphological and ecological traits. These findings suggest that DNA barcoding can significantly aid in species identification and discovery in tropical settings, even in well-studied taxonomic groups.The study by Hajibabaei et al. (2005) demonstrates the effectiveness of DNA barcoding in identifying and discovering species of tropical Lepidoptera. The researchers used cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) DNA barcodes to analyze 4,260 adults from three Lepidoptera families (Hesperiidae, Sphingidae, and Saturniidae) in the Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. They found that 97.9% of the 521 species recognized by prior taxonomic work were unambiguously distinguishable based on their COI barcodes, with only 2.1% of species showing overlapping barcodes. The study also identified 13 species complexes, each containing two or more distinct barcode clusters, which were correlated with morphological and ecological traits. These findings suggest that DNA barcoding can significantly aid in species identification and discovery in tropical settings, even in well-studied taxonomic groups.