Species richness of Eurasian Zephyrus hairstreaks (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclini) with implications on historical biogeography: An NDM/VNDM approach.

Hailing Zhuang,Rei Ueshima,Nick V Grishin,Josef Settele,Masaya Yago,Min Wang,Xiushan Li,Ulrike Gertrud Munderloh

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0191049

Abstract

AimA database based on distributional records of Eurasian Zephyrus hairstreaks (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclini) was compiled to analyse their areas of endemism (AoEs), species richness and distribution patterns, to explore their locations of past glacial refugia and dispersal routes.MethodsOver 2000 Zephyrus hairstreaks occurrences are analysed using the NDM/VNDM algorithm, for the recognition of AoEs. Species richness was calculated by using the option ‘Number of different classes’ to count the different classes of a variable presented in each 3.0°×3.0° grid cell, and GIS software was used to visualize distribution patterns of endemic species.ResultsCentres of species richness of Zephyrus hairstreaks are situated in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (EQTP), Hengduan Mountain Region (HDMR) and the Qinling Mountain Region (QLMR). Latitudinal gradients in species richness show normal distribution with the peak between 25° N and 35° N in the temperate zone, gradually decreasing towards the poles. Moreover, most parts of central and southern China, especially the area of QLMR-EQTP-HDMR, were identified as AoEs that may have played a significant role as refugia during Quaternary global cooling. There are four major distributional patterns of Zephyrus hairstreaks in Eurasia: Sino-Japanese, Sino-Himalayan, high-mountain and a combined distribution covering all three patterns.ConclusionsZephyrus hairstreaks probably originated at least 23–24 Myr ago in E. Asia between 25° N to 35° N in the temperate zone. Cenozoic orogenies caused rapid speciation of this tribe and extrusion of the Indochina block resulted in vicariance between the Sino-Japanese and the Sino-Himalayan patterns. The four distribution patterns provided two possible dispersal directions: Sino-Japanese dispersal and Sino-Himalayan dispersal.

Highlights

All living things on earth are not distributed randomly, but are restricted to a defined geographical area [1]
Centres of species richness of Zephyrus hairstreaks are situated in the eastern QinghaiTibet Plateau (EQTP), Hengduan Mountain Region (HDMR) and the Qinling Mountain Region (QLMR)
Most parts of central and southern China, especially the area of QLMREQTP-HDMR, were identified as areas of endemism (AoEs) that may have played a significant role as refugia during Quaternary global cooling

Summary

Introduction

All living things on earth are not distributed randomly, but are restricted to a defined geographical area [1]. AoEs defined by at least two endemic taxa are generally treated as keys to link the distribution of organisms and historical geographical events [2, 3], and these areas are characterized with high species survival and speciation rates. These areas are widely regarded as refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum [4]. Biogeographical lines, the most famous of which is Wallace’s Line [12], are the boundaries defining the distribution of organisms These lines reflect some consistency in the influence of ecological, physical, and geological factors, as well as historical events. The biogeographical line called the “Tanaka-Kaiyong line” which extends from northwest Yunnan through southeast Yunnan to Guangxi, China, and to northern Vietnam (about from 28 ̊ N, 98 ̊ E to 19 ̊ N, 108 ̊ E) was suggested by several researchers based on their floristic surveys [13,14,15]

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