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Geospatial Insights into the interaction between and its host plants in the Neotropics

par Sanchez Melo, Catalina
Promoteur Elias, Marianne
Co-Promoteur Paz, Andrea;Salazar, Camilo
Publication Non publié, 2024-08-29

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Résumé :

The Neotropics harbor some of the planet’s major biodiversity hotsports, yet understanding their spatial distribution patterns and drivers remains an ongoing task. Plant-insect interactions, particularly between butterflies with their larval host plants, have historically attracted scientific interest in this region. The relationship between Heliconius butterflies and their host plants, Passiflora, exemplifies this phenomenon. Describing and comparing their potential distribution and coexistence patterns is key to understanding their evolutionary relationship and its implications for diversity patterns. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) are ideal tools for comparing their large-scale spatial association. This study represents the first attempt to compare the distributions of Passiflora and Heliconius along with their associated biodiversity metrics: species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and endemism. High levels of Passiflora diversity were found in the Upper and Central Andes, Brazil, and the Guiana Shield, with notable endemism in the Colombian Pacific. Regional analysis showed partial concordance between both taxa in the Northeastern Brazil and Central America. Additionally, we presented four examples where dietary associations between both taxa are evident in their spatial distributions. However, the partial mismatch in beta diversity and regionalization patterns between the two taxa suggests that their ecological relationships are complex, potentially involving varied responses to other environmental or ecological factors. These findings emphasize the need to examine the spatial and ecological dynamics of these taxa to understand their relationship fully. This approach provided insights into the spatial dynamics between the two taxa, highlighting regions of significant overlap in their distributions and areas with unique biodiversity dynamics.