Diversity And Particularity Of The Darkling Beetles Of The Everest Nature Reserve

Mount Everest is one of the 32 biodiversity key areas of the world with these feature: the highest altitude above sea level, the most unique biogeography, original and complex bioecosystem and abundant endemic species. It has tremendous scientific value and is a paradise for studying biodiversity and plateau ecological geography. Our team collected Tenebrionid beetles in the field for many years and accumulated a large number of specimens. By identifying Tenebrionidae species, analyzing floristic composition and distribution patterns characteristic, we obtain preliminary results as follows: 1. Species diversity82 species and subspecies lying in 29 genera, 16 tribes, 6 subfamilies are recorded. The diagnosis of family, subfamilies, tribes and genera are given, as well as the cited literatures, distribution, information of material examined for each species. The keys to family, subfamilies, tribes, genera and species are provided. New to science: Qumoblaps chentangicus gen. & sp. nov.; Ascelosodis rectus Ren et Shan, 2016; Ascelosodis nyalamensis Ren et Shan, 2016; Bioramix(Leipopleura) dilatatis sp. nov.; Bioramix(Leipopleura) tingriensis sp. nov.. 2. Floristic CompositionIn the zoogeographical regions of China, Tibet-Qinghai region typically shows the highest proportion(46.3%) and the Second Tibet-Qinghai and Southwest region(22.0%). In the zoogeographical regions of the world, Sino-Japanese region are dominant(40.2%), Sino-Japanese region and Oriental region species are the Second(39.0%). 3. Spatial distribution characteristics(1) horizontal distribution: On the horizontal distribution, the species have some features as follows: the southern slope(89.0%) more than the northern slope(37.8%); obvious clustering distribution in the northern. In the genus level, monotypic genus and minor genus are abundant in the southern slope and various genera dominant in the North Slope: 15 of 16 monotypic genera distribute only on the southern slope; minor genus(4 included) distributes in the southern slope of Mount Everest and variety genus mainly in the Northern slope.(2) Vertical Distribution: Pimeliinae, Tenebrionidae(Blaptini, Platyscelidini) and some species from Lagriinae mainly distribute on alpine steppe and alpine meadow of the northern slope; On the southern slope, Lagriinae and Diaperinae mainly on the evergreen broadleaved forest zone at altitude 1200-2500 m and mountain coniferous forest and broadleaf forest zone at altitude 2500-3100 m; Alleculinae mainly on the mountain coniferous forest zone at altitude 3100-3900 m and above the band many species are closed to the northern slope, Stenochiinae below the band. The darkling beetles are very closely related with vegetation zones. 4. Species differentiation characteristicsBy analyzing each vegetation zones species, the differentiation of the plateau steppe zone(4000-5000 m) of the Northern slope are the strongest(genus to species: 6 to 29); subalpine shrub meadow band(3900-4700 m) from the Southern slope and alpine meadow(5000-5700 m) from the Northern slope are both 5 to 9. Totally, with increasing altitude, species differentiation from the Southern slope gradually increased and then decreased; the North gradually decreased. 5. Relations between its neighborhood and surrounding areaComparing the Everest Nature Reserve areas with its surrounding area, the similarity coefficient(QS) is listed: Northern India(23.3)> Nepal(18.6)> Burma(17.6)> Bhutan(16.8)> Yunnan(10.0)> Qinghai(9.9)> Sichuan(9.6). The Everest Nature Reserve areas is the most similar to the Northern India; followed by Nepal, Burma, Bhutan, similarity coefficients were above 10.0, and Yunnan, Qinghai, Sichuan were 10.0 or less. The darkling beetles from the Everest Nature Reserve areas are more similar to the southern slope of the Himalayas region, showing tropical and subtropical genetic characteristics. 6. The particularity of TenebrionidaeThe species of the Everest Nature Reserve areas have typical zonal distribution feature: 1) Alpine ground-living species, adapting to alpine steppe, alpine meadow and alpine desert, belong to typical Sino-Japanese type. Typical darkling beetles include these genera: Laena, Ascelosodis, Blaps, Gnaptorina, Bioramix. 2) Tree dwelling species, typical Oriental species, include some species of Diaperinae, Lagriinae, Stenochiinae etc.