Aim China has dozens of well‐recognized biodiversity hotspots, but many more potential areas have not been estimated thoroughly, which is unfavourable for biodiversity conservation. Neotenic net‐winged beetles with limited dispersal ability generally occur in restricted ranges but rarely occur in China, which makes them ideal models for biogeographical studies to define biodiversity hotspots. This study will explore the potential distribution patterns of neotenic Lycidae in China to provide basic data for the implementation of biological conservation. Location China. Methods We conducted maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and random forest (RF) modelling to simulate the habitat suitability for neotenic Lycidae occurring in China under different climate scenarios by using all available distribution information in Southeast Asia (a total of 305 occurrence records) and several environmental variables. The dynamic changes in the potentially suitable habitats and centroids of neotenic Lycidae were simulated under all climate scenarios. Results The results indicated that potentially suitable habitats for neotenic Lycidae were mostly located in the montane areas and mountainous islands in southern China, including the eastern Himalayas, Gaoligong Mountains, Ailao Mountains, Hengduan Mountains, Wumeng Mountains, Miaoling Mountains, Daba Mountains, Wu Mountains, Yunkai Mountains, Wuzhi Mountains and Central Mountains. In addition, the dynamic analyses showed that their changes also occurred in montane areas, whose affinity and significance were confirmed in the biological conservation. Main conclusions Taking the unique neotenic Lycidae as the subject, we verify that several montane areas are biodiversity hotspots that have already been well‐recognized, while it is determined that some additional mountains could be potential hotspots. Therefore, more attention and biological conservation efforts should be used in these areas. In addition, using the ensemble modelling approach to identify potential distributions is a helpful tool to develop strategies for biological conservation, even if it has several limitations.

Species richness patterns and endemism on the large-scale play a significant role in biogeography and biodiversity conservation. This study aimed to explore the diversity centers and endemic areas of a large cantharid genus Lycocerus, so as to test whether the hypothesis of montane and island systems biodiversity in previous studies was supported. In this study, a comprehensive species’ geographical database on the global scale consisting of 4,227 records for 324 Lycocerus species was compiled and analyzed. Species richness pattern was mapped into a grid-based map with a spatial resolution of 1° × 1° fishnet. An unbalanced pattern was identified, and it showed that the centers of species richness of Lycocerus were situated in Eastern Himalayas, Hengduan Mountains, Eastern Sichuan Mountains, Taiwan, and Japan. Further analyses based on two approaches, including parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE) and endemicity analysis (EA), were applied to detect areas of endemism (AOEs) at three different grid sizes (1°, 1.5°, and 2°). Finally, a total of nine AOEs were detected, including five montane areas (Himalayan areas, Hengduan Mountains, South edge of China, Eastern China Mountains, and Eastern Sichuan Mountains), three islands (Taiwan Island, Japan, and Korean Peninsula), and one plateau (Shan Plateau), which were generally consistent with the species richness pattern. The results verify that montane and island systems have an essential role in promoting the formation of diversity centers and AOEs because of their complex topography, varied habitat and geological events.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract