AWET -- Arthropod Weight Estimation Tool

Arthropods play crucial roles in ecosystems, contributing to processes like pollination, decomposition, and nutrient cycling. They are also commonly utilized as indicators of ecosystem health and function. One important variable in the study of arthropods is body weight, which is often measured as dry weight. However, this process limits the potential for future research on the same specimens, as it restricts further processing such as trait measurements or species identification.

To address this issue, researchers have developed AWET, an open-source application for estimating the fresh body weight of individual arthropods and extracting morphometric measurements from standardized images of pre-sorted specimens. AWET utilizes automated image analysis combined with taxon-specific allometric regression models to estimate weight, while simultaneously quantifying body length, width, area, and specimen abundance.

The software is compatible with standard imaging equipment and does not require machine-learning-based classification or segmentation. Users have the flexibility to define taxonomic groupings based on their specific research objectives. By allowing for the preservation of specimens for downstream analyses, AWET offers a highly efficient, non-destructive, and cost-effective workflow for high-throughput arthropod phenotyping.

This tool is particularly valuable for biodiversity monitoring projects focused on investigating changes in arthropod biomass, abundance, and individual morphometric measures.