Congruent patterns between species richness and areas of endemism of the Greenideinae aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) revealed by global-scale data

Species richness and endemism are of remarkable significance in historical and ecological biogeography. Aphids with close association with their host plants may well reveal the underlying mechanism that shaped distribution patterns from both biotic and abiotic factors. We identified patterns of species richness and endemism for Greenideinae aphids on the global scale, using 1049 records of 192 extent species/subspecies. Parsimony analysis of endemicity and endemicity analysis were applied to detect areas of endemism (AoEs). The parsimony analysis of endemicity was performed in PAUP 4.0a152 on weighted data (down-weighting of widespread species); three different grid sizes were used in the endemicity analysis. The highest species richness was located in the eastern Himalayas, Hainan Island, Taiwan Island and Java. AoEs were detected as the eastern Himalayas, western Himalayas, mountains of southwest China, south edge of China, east China mountains, Hainan Island, Taiwan Island, Honshu Island, Malay Peninsula and Java. There is noticeably a congruent pattern between species richness and AoEs. Montane areas and mountainous islands characterized by complex topography and varied habitats were beneficial for forming these hotspots of diversity and endemism, whereas intimately associated host plant distribution and diversity were more important in illuminating distribution patterns for these host-specific insects.