Endemism patterns of leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Türkiye
Turkish Journal of Zoology, cilt.50, sa.4, ss.199-212, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 50 Sayı: 4
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.55730/1300-0179.3264
- Dergi Adı: Turkish Journal of Zoology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Geobase, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM), Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.199-212
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Chrysomelidae, corrected weighted endemism, endemism centers, plant endemism, range restricted endemism, Türkiye
- Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
In this study, the distribution of endemic leaf beetles in Türkiye was analyzed holistically at the provincial scale using species richness (ENR), corrected weighted endemism (CWE), and range-restricted endemism (RRE) indices. A total of 95 endemic taxa were found in Türkiye and these taxa exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity in terms of richness and extent of distribution. The Western and Central Taurus Mountains and the Eastern Black Sea Region were found to be the main centers of endemism, with high densities of narrowly distributed and geographically restricted species. These patterns clearly demonstrate that key biogeographic factors, such as steep elevation gradients, strong orographic barriers, habitat fragmentation, and host plant restrictions, favor long-term isolation and local speciation. In contrast, the more uniform topography of Western Anatolia and the Marmara Region generally exhibits low endemism values. The strong spatial overlap between leaf beetles and plant endemism suggests that host specialization plays a significant role in shaping distribution boundaries. Overall, the findings highlight that Türkiye’s mountainous areas contain critical refuge areas harboring unique endemic leaf beetle communities and that these regions should be prioritized in biodiversity conservation strategies.