A Checklist of the Beetles of Cuba with Data on Distributions and ...
A Checklist of the Beetles of Cuba with Data on Distributions and ...
A Checklist of the Beetles of Cuba with Data on Distributions and ...
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Abstract<br />
This summary <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> beetle fauna <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Cuba</str<strong>on</strong>g> lists 87 families, 954 genera, <strong>and</strong> 2,673 species plus three<br />
families, three genera, <strong>and</strong> three species <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> strepsipterans. Many families in <str<strong>on</strong>g>Cuba</str<strong>on</strong>g> are poorly or not at all<br />
studied <strong>and</strong> additi<strong>on</strong>al species will be found. The fauna c<strong>on</strong>tains 1,495 endemic species - species which are<br />
naturally limited to <str<strong>on</strong>g>Cuba</str<strong>on</strong>g>. There are 1,092 native species - <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se have natural distributi<strong>on</strong>s in adjacent or<br />
surrounding l<strong>and</strong> masses (<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Bahama Isl<strong>and</strong>s, Florida <strong>and</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sou<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>astern United States, Jamaica, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
Cayman Isl<strong>and</strong>s, México <strong>and</strong> Central America, <strong>and</strong> Hispaniola <strong>and</strong> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r Caribbean isl<strong>and</strong>s to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> east).<br />
There are 86 species which are recognized to have been introduced by human activities <strong>and</strong> many <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se<br />
are pests <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> agriculture, forestry, or stored products. The fauna is disharm<strong>on</strong>ic (unbalanced), as is expected<br />
for an oceanic isl<strong>and</strong> fauna which has l<strong>on</strong>g been isolated by water. Several families that occur <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
c<strong>on</strong>tinental margins <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Caribbean are apparently not present in <str<strong>on</strong>g>Cuba</str<strong>on</strong>g>. Geological history suggests that<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Cuba</str<strong>on</strong>g> has existed as an isl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> has been available for insect col<strong>on</strong>izati<strong>on</strong> for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> past 35 milli<strong>on</strong> years.<br />
Species movement to <strong>and</strong> from <str<strong>on</strong>g>Cuba</str<strong>on</strong>g> may have been more frequent at times <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> past low sea levels during<br />
Pleistocene glacials, when <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> neighboring c<strong>on</strong>tinental margins <strong>and</strong> Caribbean isl<strong>and</strong>s were more exposed<br />
<strong>and</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> water gaps between <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m <strong>and</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Cuba</str<strong>on</strong>g> were smaller. Twenty-eight genera c<strong>on</strong>tain 10 or more species<br />
limited to <str<strong>on</strong>g>Cuba</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>and</strong> may represent isl<strong>and</strong> “species swarms.”