Areography of the genus Dendroctonus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in Mexico

• Published in: Journal of biogeography 2004-07, Vol.31 (7), p.1163-1177
• Main Authors: Salinas-Moreno, Yolanda, Guadalupe Mendoza, Ma, Barrios, Miguel A., Cisneros, Ramón, Macías-Sámano, Jorge, Zúñiga, Gerardo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; bark beetle; Biogeography; Biological and medical sciences; Biological taxonomies; Coleoptera; Curculionidae; Dendroctonus; Entomology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Geographical distribution; Insects Galore; Mexico; Oceans; Parasite hosts; Pinus; Species; Sympatry; Synecology; Topographical elevation
• ISSN: 0305-0270; 1365-2699
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2004.01110.x

Objective To analyse whether the geographical ranges of Dendroctonus species are (1) associated with factors such as host species or elevation, and (2) in agreement with Halffter's Nearctic distribution pattern. (3) To identify and discuss the factors that are likely to act as barriers to the genus' geographical distribution. (4) To explore whether there is an association between the size of the geographical ranges of Dendroctonus species and the number of Pinus host species used by each of them, and (5) to assess if these host species are most common at the elevations preferred by the individual Dendroctonus species. Site Mexico. Methods Records of 12 species of Dendroctonus were gathered from entomological collections in Mexico. Distribution ranges were defined by using the propinquity method (Rapoport, 1975a). Analysed parameters were: (1) geographical distribution of single species, (2) overlapping of species ranges, (3) disjunction patterns and barriers by means of isoprobabilistic lines, based on the morphotectonic subdivision of Mexico (Ferrusquía-Villafranca, 1998), (4) spatial variation in species richness with respect to latitude and altitude, (5) size of geographical ranges, and (6) host species for each Dendroctonus species. A correlation was determined between area size and number of pine host species. Results The species ranges varied in shape and size. Geographical ranges tend to be discontinuous in shape. Composite patterns showed that disjunctions among ranges do not closely follow Mexico's morphotectonic subdivision. There are repeated discontinuities among individual distributions, which define five areas: (1) Baja California Peninsula, (2) Sierra Madre Occidental (SMOC), (3) northern Sierra Madre Oriental (SMOR), (4) Sierra Madre de Chiapas, and (5) SMOR + Faja Volcanica Transmexicana (FVT) + Sierra Madre del Sur. The isoprobabilistic lines confirm that the inner part of SMOC provides an optimal environment for the genus, and the FVT province constitutes the broader corridor for it in the country. Richness does not directly decrease or increase with latitude. Richness behaviour of the insect is not associated with that of its host. Elevation distributions showed that most Dendroctonus species move within broad margins of tolerance and species richness is concentrated in the montane interval. Dendroctonus attack 24 of the 47 Pinus species distributed in Mexico. Preferred pine species belong predominantly to Leiophyllae, Ponderosae and Oo