Mega-Diversity of Beetle Species—Perspective on Taxonomy, Systematics, Morphological Evolution and Zoogeographical Patterns of Coleoptera (Arthropoda, Insecta)

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Phylogeny and Evolution".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 November 2022) | Viewed by 13084

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: insect taxonomy and systematics; evolutionary biology; biodiversity science; molecular systematics and evolution of beetles

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This is a Special Issue of high-quality papers in open access form by the Editorial Board Members, or those recommended and invited by the Editorial Board Members and the Editor-in-Chief. 

In this special issue concentrated on Coleopterology, we aim to cover the following topics:

  1. Inventory of beetle species diversity. Global, regional and local catalogues.
  2. Taxonomy and nomenclatures.
  3. New taxa discovers.
  4. Faunistic and zoogeographical researches.
  5. Phylogenetics based on molecular and morphological data.
  6. Evolutionary patterns exhibiting in morphological variations, ecological adaptations.
  7. Life history and pre-adults stages.
  8. Field investigation and observing.

You are warmly encouraged to contribute research papers, reports, and reviews

Prof. Dr. Hongzhang Zhou
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • beetles
  • species diversity
  • inventory
  • taxonomy
  • systematics
  • morphology
  • zoogeography
  • phylogeny
  • evolution
  • Coleoptera

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 3533 KiB  
Article
The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Northeast Asian Rove Beetle, Lordithon arcuatus (Solsky, 1871) and Performance of Site-Specific Mixture Models in Building the Mitogenomic Phylogeny of Staphylinidae (Insecta: Coleoptera)
by Qiao-Qiao Ji, Yi-Nuo Sun, Liang Lü, Tian-You Zhao and Dong-Hui Wu
Diversity 2023, 15(5), 588; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050588 - 23 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1636
Abstract
Lordithon species are typically mushroom-dwelling rove beetles that devour maggots. This study presents the mitogenome of a Lordithon arcuatus specimen that was procured from Changbai Mountain in the Jilin Province of China. The mitogenome is 18,290 bp long and comprises 13 protein-coding genes, [...] Read more.
Lordithon species are typically mushroom-dwelling rove beetles that devour maggots. This study presents the mitogenome of a Lordithon arcuatus specimen that was procured from Changbai Mountain in the Jilin Province of China. The mitogenome is 18,290 bp long and comprises 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs. The base composition of the mitogenome is as follows: A = 38.80%, T = 37.93%, G = 8.94%, and C = 14.32%. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic trees were constructed using 68 representative staphylinid species, which showed that Lordithon, Bolitobius, and Ischnosoma form a stable and fully supported Mycetoporinae clade, whereas there was no consensus regarding the relationships among Tachyporinae taxa. Additionally, the performance of site-specific mixture models for inferring the phylogeny of staphylinids using mitogenomic data was assessed. The results suggest that heterotachy models should be used with caution, as they may result in incorrect topology with delusive precedence in AIC- or BIC-based model selection. Full article
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23 pages, 11398 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Distributions of Scolytinae Beetles in the Subtropical Forests of Southern China
by Yali Yu, Lanfeng Li, Xingke Yang, Wei Lin, Qunxin Han and Zhiqiang Li
Diversity 2023, 15(4), 499; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040499 - 1 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1567
Abstract
Scolytinae beetles serve as important regulators of ecosystem integrity. However, some of these species have been identified as important pests. The Guangdong region of China exhibits unique geographic characteristics, but is also subject to substantial anthropogenic disturbances, making it an important region for [...] Read more.
Scolytinae beetles serve as important regulators of ecosystem integrity. However, some of these species have been identified as important pests. The Guangdong region of China exhibits unique geographic characteristics, but is also subject to substantial anthropogenic disturbances, making it an important region for ecological research. This study was designed to assess the biodiversity and abundance of these Scolytinae beetles in subtropical areas, to define indicators associated with environmental disturbances, and to thereby provide additional valuable information that can support the conservation of the ecosystem and the monitoring and controling of pest species. For these analyses, a two-season survey of Scolytinae communities was performed across three habitats to examine the patterns of variation within these communities. These analyses revealed that environmental disturbances were associated with a drop in Scolytinae beetle population diversity, with Hypothenemus sp.2, Xyleborinus andrewesi, and Xyleborinus artestriatus offering particular value as indicators associated with severe environmental disruptions. Plant diversity and composition also impacted Scolytinae beetle communities through a range of complex mechanisms. Scolytinae beetle diversity was also found to be higher during the rainy season relative to the dry season, with beetle abundance being responsive to average temperatures, but unrelated to average relative humidity levels. Full article
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17 pages, 2220 KiB  
Article
Energy Availability Factors Drive the Geographical Pattern of Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera) in the Arid and Semiarid Areas of China
by Yalin Li, Yujie Wang, Hui Zhang, Chengxu Lou and Guodong Ren
Diversity 2023, 15(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15010018 - 22 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1886
Abstract
Species richness is regarded as the core index of biogeography. Estimating the correlation between species richness and modern environmental factors will be of great significance for species conservation. The arid and semiarid areas of China present serious desertification, but there are rich biodiversity [...] Read more.
Species richness is regarded as the core index of biogeography. Estimating the correlation between species richness and modern environmental factors will be of great significance for species conservation. The arid and semiarid areas of China present serious desertification, but there are rich biodiversity resources of high value. In this study, we evaluated species diversity, species richness, and the correlation between species richness and modern environmental factors using the species of Tenebrionidae in arid and semiarid areas of China, which will provide basic data for species conservation. The species richness was measured using 1° × 1° grid cells, and its determinants were explored based on generalized linear models (GLMs) and random forest models. A total of 696 species, belonging to 125 genera of 38 tribes and 7 subfamilies, were recorded in the study area. The non-uniform species richness pattern was presented, with more species in Altai, Tianshan, Nyenchen Thanglha and Helan Mountains. The species richness was affected by a variety of environmental factors. The variables representing energy availability and climate stability had stronger explanatory power, especially the annual mean temperature (BIO1) and the mean temperature of warmest quarter (BIO10). In contrast, water availability and habitat heterogeneity have relatively little correlation with species richness. Full article
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11 pages, 1718 KiB  
Article
Carabus (Tomocarabus) bessarabicus Fischer von Waldheim, 1823 (Coleoptera: Carabidae)—New Steppe Element for the Bulgarian Fauna from the Karst Refugium of the Chepan Planina Mt.
by Teodora M. Teofilova and Nikolay D. Kodzhabashev
Diversity 2022, 14(12), 1123; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121123 - 15 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3013
Abstract
During a study of the distribution and status of Carabus hungaricus Fabricius, 1792 (Coleoptera: Carabidae), with pitfall traps exposed between November 2021 and April 2022, immediately south of Petrovski Krast Peak (1206 m a.s.l.) in the Chepan Planina Mt., at 1188 m a.s.l., [...] Read more.
During a study of the distribution and status of Carabus hungaricus Fabricius, 1792 (Coleoptera: Carabidae), with pitfall traps exposed between November 2021 and April 2022, immediately south of Petrovski Krast Peak (1206 m a.s.l.) in the Chepan Planina Mt., at 1188 m a.s.l., the rare and stenotopic steppe species Carabus bessarabicus Fischer von Waldheim, 1823, was found for the first time in Bulgaria and the European Union. In October 2022, elytra of both species were also found by handpicking in the same area. The coexistence of these two specific and rare steppe species has been recorded only in few localities in Ukraine and Russia and in no EU country. This finding is also very interesting given the high conservation status of Carabus bessarabicus, the significant remoteness of its newly established locality (more than 1200 km) from its previously known range, and its strong south-westward drift. The species is used as a bioindicator for the anthropogenically uninfluenced steppe environment, which can also probably be applied in Bulgaria. The establishment of this first record for the EU also implies an increase in the conservation status of the species through its inclusion in the Union-wide conservation documents and ecological networks. Full article
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23 pages, 8642 KiB  
Article
Larva, Pupa or Adult? The Female of Platerodrilus Case (Coleoptera: Lycidae)
by Kirill Vladimirovich Makarov and Sergey Vasilievich Kazantsev
Diversity 2022, 14(12), 1063; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121063 - 2 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2169
Abstract
The anatomy and genitalia of a larviform female were studied for the first time in the family Lycidae. The structure of the exo- and endoskeleton of a Platerodrilus female was found to be not much different from that of its larva, with external [...] Read more.
The anatomy and genitalia of a larviform female were studied for the first time in the family Lycidae. The structure of the exo- and endoskeleton of a Platerodrilus female was found to be not much different from that of its larva, with external genital appendages barely differentiated. The reproductive system was found to include an unpaired spermatheca, and paired oviducts and ovaries. The structure of the integument was found to also be peculiar, with two layers of cuticle differing in structure. On the other hand, the labrum and mandibles were found to be quite unlike the larval ones: the labrum was undivided and the mandibles fully metamorphosed. This odd combination of morphological characters may be interpreted in two ways. First, it may be hypothesized that this is a pupa. However, its genital appendages are simpler than those of “normal” Lycidae pupae; wings or their rudiments are completely absent; there are very few features of imaginal morphology in the external structure. Therefore, we propose another hypothesis—this is the stage preceding the pupa, which Hinton (1946) designates as ‘prepupa’. Full article
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14 pages, 2597 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Species Richness Pattern and Areas of Endemism of Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera) in Xinjiang, China
by Yalin Li, Yujie Wang, Hui Zhang, Shaoyang Li, Zichao Chai and Guodong Ren
Diversity 2022, 14(7), 558; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14070558 - 11 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1968
Abstract
Species richness and areas of endemicity (AOE) are the basis of biogeography, which is of great significance for understanding the evolution of species and making conservation plans. The present study aimed to investigate the species richness pattern and AOEs of Tenebrionidae in Xinjiang, [...] Read more.
Species richness and areas of endemicity (AOE) are the basis of biogeography, which is of great significance for understanding the evolution of species and making conservation plans. The present study aimed to investigate the species richness pattern and AOEs of Tenebrionidae in Xinjiang, China. We collected information on the geographical distribution of 556 species from several sources and obtained 2226 distribution records for the analyses. The AOEs were detected using the parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE) and endemicity analysis (EA) at 0.5°, 1°, and 1.5° grid sizes, respectively. A total of six AOEs were found, including three mountain ranges (Altai Mountains, Tianshan Mountains, and Kunlun Mountains) and one basin (Junggar Basin), which was largely congruent with the species richness pattern. The results indicated that the complex terrain and stable climate in the mountainous area played an important role in the formation of tenebrionid species diversity and their endemic areas in Xinjiang. Full article
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