Historical biogeography of longhorn cactus beetles: the influence of Pleistocene climate changes on American desert communities

Abstract

Mitochondrial sequence data from three species of flightless cactus beetles, Moneilema gigas, M. armatum, and M. appressum, were analyzed. The coalescent models implemented in the program FLUCTUATE were used to test the hypothesis that these species experienced range changes following the end of the last glacial period. The two desert species M. gigas and M. armatum both showed significant evidence of population growth, particularly in northern populations; however, the montane species M. appressum did not show evidence of range fragmentation and population decline as predicted from paleoclimate data.

Parent Publication

• Connecting mountain islands and desert seas: Biodiversity and management of the Madrean Archipelago II

Citation

Smith, Christopher Irwin; Farrell, Brian Dorsey. 2005. Historical biogeography of longhorn cactus beetles: the influence of Pleistocene climate changes on American desert communities. In: Gottfried, Gerald J.; Gebow, Brooke S.; Eskew, Lane G.; Edminster, Carleton B., comps. Connecting mountain islands and desert seas: biodiversity and management of the Madrean Archipelago II. Proc. RMRS-P-36. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 135-139