Side threats: further possible effects of warming on the high alpine narrow endemic Carabus cychroides (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Abstract

Carabus cychroides is an endemic ground beetle of a few high mountain slopes in the Cottian Alps. We have modelled the presence-absence data collected in a sample area, related to this species, the congener C. depressus with which it can hybridise and the small snail Chilostoma glaciale, specific prey of Carabus cychroides. The models were projected to three future periods according to four greenhouse gas emission scenarios. The results indicated the future increase in niche and spatial overlap of the two beetles, which could lead to more hybridisation and competition between them. If these threats occur over the entire geographic range of the already endangered C. cychroides, they could accelerate its predicted decline in the coming decades due to climate warming.

Contrasting patterns of habitat use in a threatened carabid (Carabus intricatus) and a sympatric congener in ancient temperate rainforest

“…depressus ) is predicted to impact the decline of the threatened specialist C . cychroides in the Cottian Alps (Anselmo & Rizzioli, 2022). Conversely, four Carabus species demonstrated clear niche separation in Brandenburg, Germany, with different levels of specificity towards various trees, or, in the case of C .…”

Museomics ofCarabusgiant ground beetles shows an Oligocene origin andin situAlpine diversification

“…In the case of Carabus cychroides , it is not closely related to any other species of the subgenus as suggested by previous authors, and despite rare known natural hybrids with C. depressus in the Cottian Alps (i.e., Colle delle Finestre, Monte Morefreddo, Monte Albergian), these species do not share an immediate recent common ancestry (Sturani 1962; Casale et al . 1998; Anselmo & Rizzioli 2022a; b). The rest of Carabus ( Platycarabus ) species and most sampled subspecies are found monophyletic (Figure 2).…”

“…Cases of stenocephaly are most notably observed in Carabus (Platycarabus) but also in C. Monte Morefreddo, Monte Albergian), these species do not share an immediate recent common ancestry (Sturani 1962;Casale et al 1998;Anselmo & Rizzioli 2022a;. The rest of Carabus (Platycarabus) species and most sampled subspecies are found monophyletic (Figure 2).…”

“…Cases of stenocephaly are most notably observed in Carabus (Platycarabus) but also in C. The copyright holder for this preprint this version posted March 27, 2024. ; https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.21.586057 doi: bioRxiv preprint ancestry (Sturani 1962;Casale et al 1998;Anselmo & Rizzioli 2022a;. The rest of Carabus (Platycarabus) species and most sampled subspecies are found monophyletic (Figure 2).…”

“…For instance, Carabus cychroides with a thin, elongated head and prothorax, is adapted to enter gastropod shells and has undergone a process known as “cychrization”. This species has a very restricted range in the Piedmont region of Italy, is endangered and the focus of reinforced conservation programmes (Anselmo & Rizzioli 2022a; b). In contrast, the species C. irregularis presents a “licinization” resulting in a large head likely adapted to cracking snail shells (Casale et al .…”