Aim
This study aims to test whether the diversity centres of hemipteran insects are mainly concentrated in mountains and whether spatial variation exists in the relationship between species richness and environmental factors, and investigate the spatio‐temporal divergence patterns of hemipteran insects in China to infer underlying mechanisms and the role of different regions as museums and/or cradles.
Location
China.
Time period
Present day.
Major taxa studied
Hemipteran insects.
Methods
A comprehensive species distribution dataset consisting of 7,822 hemipteran species was compiled, and a dated molecular phylogeny of hemipteran insects was reconstructed. We analysed the richness and spatio‐temporal divergence patterns of hemipteran insects based on grid cells with a resolution of 1° × 1°. The relative effects of environmental factors on species richness were analysed by general linear models, multivariate spatial autoregressive models and a spatial random forest model. Phylogenetic diversity, phylogenetic structure, and mean divergence times were calculated and evaluated.
Results
The mountains of central to southern China have the highest hemipteran diversity. Multiple environmental factors together determine the diversity patterns, but relative effects of different factors vary across China's terrain. Central and southern China primarily preserve older lineages and present phylogenetic overdispersion, while northern China shows more recent divergence and phylogenetic clustering. The eastern Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains have high diversity of both ancient and young lineages.
Main conclusions
The diversity patterns of hemipteran insects in China obviously tend to concentrate in mountains and result from combined effects of multiple environmental factors, but the effects vary in different areas. The mountains of central and southern China act as museums, and the mountains of northern China represent evolutionary cradles for Hemiptera diversity, while the eastern Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains are probably being both cradles and museums. Our results identify areas of high richness and phylogenetic diversity, which provide a foundation for insect conservation in China.
Type specimens are valuable resources for investigating and exploring biodiversity on Earth, which has high academic and conservation value. Hemipteran insects are one of the most important and diverse groups in Insecta and their type specimens have important reference value for many research fields. So far, the data on the type specimens of the Hemiptera in China have not been fully collated.
Through extensive literature review, we have constructed a dataset of type specimens for the new species of hemipteran insects in China published from 1950 to 2017, which includes the data such as collection date, specimen gender, preservation institution and geographical distribution. A total of 6,583 type specimen records were collected, covering 3,783 new species belonging to 1,299 genera and 88 families. This dataset can support the international community in conducting research on taxonomy, biodiversity, evolution and pest management.
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