Regional assemblages shaped by historical and contemporary factors: Evidence from a species-rich insect group.

Abstract

Understanding diversity patterns requires accounting for the roles of both historical and contemporary factors in the assembly of communities. Here, we compared diversity patterns of two moth assemblages sampled from Taihang and Yanshan mountains in Northern China and performed ancestral range reconstructions using the Multi-State Speciation and Extinction model, to track the origins of these patterns. Further, we estimated diversification rates of the two moth assemblages and explored the effects of contemporary ecological factors. From 7,788 specimens we identified 835 species belonging to 23 families, using both DNA barcode analysis and morphology. Moths in Yanshan mountains showed higher species diversity than in Taihang mountains. Ancestral range analysis indicated Yanshan as the origin, with significant historical dispersals from Yanshan to Taihang. Asymmetrical diversification, population expansion, along with frequent and considerable gene flow were detected between communities. Moreover, dispersal limitation or the joint effect of environment filtering and dispersal limitation were inferred as main driving forces shaping current diversity patterns. In summary, we demonstrate that a multiscale (community, population and species level) analysis incorporating both historical and contemporary factors can be useful in delineating factors contributing to community assembly and patterning in diversity.