04 Haz 2025 Çarşamba
Turkey’s striking biodiversity compared to neighboring countries based on number of originally described species-group taxa and endemism of the longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycoidea)
Abstract : Longhorn beetles is one of the largest, most diverse, ecologically and economically important groups of beetles. The paper presents number and endemism of originally described species-group taxa of Cerambycoidea in Turkey and 12 neighboring countries. According to the present study, Cerambycoidea of Turkey and neighboring countries includes a total of 1470 originally described species-group taxa belonging to 129 genera of 49 tribes of 13 subfamilies in two families as Cerambycidae and Vesperidae. While Cerambycidae is represented in all studied countries, Vesperidae is represented only in Turkey and Greece each with one species. As a result, Turkey is the most diverse country by far among its neighbors. Among the countries studied, Turkey is far ahead in terms of the richness of biological diversity. Apparently, in terms of highest number of originally described species-group taxa, Turkey with 639 taxa is strikingly prevailing, and Greece with 191 taxa and Iran with 189 taxa follow it. On the contrary, Iraq with 13 taxa and Romania with 10 taxa have the lowest number of originally described species-group taxa. Also, in terms of highest number of endemic originally described species-group taxa, Turkey with 520 taxa is strikingly prevailing, and Greece with 148 taxa and Iran with 132 taxa follow it. On the contrary, Iraq and Romania each with 5 taxa have the lowest number of endemics. In addition, among the countries studied, Cyprus and Turkey is far ahead in terms of the richness of biological diversity based on originally described species-group taxa of Cerambycoidea. It is seen that more than 4/5 (83 and 81 percent) of the faunas of Cyprus and Turkey consists of endemic taxa. They are followed by the Greek fauna, which consists of endemic taxa at a rate of about 4/5 (78 percent). Iran follows them with 70 percent. On the contrary, Azerbaijan with 25 percent has the lowest endemism ratio among the studied countries. Among the countries studied, Turkey is far ahead in terms of the ratio of originally described species-group taxa to all species-group taxa of Cerambycoidea. This ratio for Turkey is more than half or 2/3 (60 percent) of the whole fauna of Turkey. Turkey is followed by the Iranian fauna with 43 percent and Greece with 40 percent. On the contrary, this ratio is the lowest in Bulgaria with 7 percent and Romania with 4 percent. Consequently, the studied area where Turkey and neighboring countries are located is a remarkable and important area in terms of biodiversity on Earth based on originally described species-group taxa. The fact that much more than half or more than 2/3 (67.55 percent) of originally described species-group taxa of Cerambycoidea fauna consists of endemic originally described species-group taxa that is a clear proof of this.