Fauna And Distribution Of The Darkling Beetles In Qinghai-xizang Plateau (coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea)

This dissertation deals with taxonomic and faunistic studies on the Tenebrionidae (Coleoptera) from Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, also refers to the origin, diversity, and distribution pattern. The results of this work are divided into four parts as follows.I. Based on the data from the original manuscript and results of identifying Tenebrionidae specimens deposited in MHBU, in total, 6 subfamilies, 24 tribes, 86 genera and 528 species (subspecies) are recorded in this work. The diagnoses of each subfamily, tribe and genus, as well as the keys to subfamilies, tribes, genera and species are provided. The citations and information of the examined materials are provided for each genus and species. New taxa are described in detail, and all of them are provided with illustrations and photos. 16 new species are described (including the ones have been published): Protoblaps foveatus sp. nov., Protoblaps markamus sp. nov., Ascelosodis latiusculus sp. nov., Ascelosodis parallelus sp. nov., Ascelosodis subpunctilus sp. nov., Agnaptoria nyingcha sp. nov., Agnaptoria ampliata sp. nov., Agnaptoria nigripes Ren & Liu, 2009, Gnaptorina flexitibia sp. nov., Gnaptorina sororia sp. nov., Itagonia baxoica Liu & Ren, 2009, Itagonia zoganga sp. nov., Blaps (Prosoblapsia) bifoveatus sp. nov., Pseudognaptorina flata Liu & Ren, 2009, Pseudognaptorina qinghaica sp. nov. and Catomus (Sinocatomus) interruptus Liu & Ren, 2010; 5 new combinations: Protoblpaps apicopilosus (Shi & Ren, 2007) comb. nov. from Agnaptoria Reitter, Agnaptoria rufipes (Li & Ren, 2004) comb. nov. from Gnaptorina Reitter, Agnaptoria tenuicorpra (Li & Ren, 2004) comb. nov. from Gnaptorina Reitter, Itagonia quadratus (Li & Ren, 2004) comb. nov. from Gnaptorina Reitter and Pseudethas convexigena (Ren & Shi, 2006) comb. nov. from Indochillus Koch; the males of Agnaptoria amdoensis G. Medvedev, 2006 and Blaps (Blaps) thibetanoides Ren & Yin, 2004, also the female of Dila bomina Ren & Li, 2001 are discovered and described for the first time.II. High species diversity is revealed in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Within this region, 528 tenebrionid species are recorded, of which 311species are endimic ones (possessing 58.9% of the total species) , 121 species are the Palaearctic components, possessing 22.9%; 57 species are Oriental ones, possessing 10.8%. These species belongs to Alleculinae (2 tribes, 4 genera), Diaperinae (1 tribe, 3 genera), Lagriinae (4 tribes, 14 genera), Pimeliinae (7 tribes, 21 genera), Stenochiinae (2 tribes, 7 genera) and Tenebrioninae (8 tribes, 37 genera), By using species statistics and GIS mapping, it shows that the distribution of the tenebrionid beetles within this region are in an distinctly asymmetric pattern. Except few species are distributed in the northern part and high surface of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, most of them are concentrated in three areas, the eastern part of Himalayas, eastern Hengduan Mountains Region and southern Hengduan Mountains Region. Based on this result, the spatial distribution pattern of the species and each subfamily are analyzed and discussed respectively.III. Parsimony analysis of PC-ORD and GIS methods are applied to investigate patterns of endemism for tenebrionid beetles. As a result, there are 9 areas of endemism: i.e. the western region of Himalayas, the northern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, western Xigazê, marginal region of southeastern and southern the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, high surface of eastern the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, hilly and mountain plain of southeastern the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, high-mountain gorge of southeastern the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, Nagqu region and middle and eastern Himalayas. The spatial pattern of the areas of endemism and patterns of species richness were spatially and quantitatively congruent.IV. By using clustering analysis (SPSS) and referring to the biogeographical history, the origin and evolution of the tenebrionid beetles of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau is analyzed and discussed. As a result, the faunal components of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau are showed to be very similar to those of Palaearctic Region, so it is supposed that the tenebrionid beetles of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau are originated from Palaearctic Region. Furthermore, by cladogram of distribution grids, the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau is divided into four sub-regions from north to south. Based on the latter result and biogeographical history, it shows that the species of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau are originated from Palaearctic region and spread from north to south. At last, the evolution of the tenebrionid beetles of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau are analyzed and discussed.