Distribution patterns of tiger beetle species in the Philippines and Southeast Asia

Abstract

Various animal taxa have been used in the past to elucidate biogeographic patterns in the Philippine archipelago and several hypotheses were proposed. In this study, the tiger beetle fauna was used to verify these hypotheses. The Philippine tiger beetle fauna is one of the highest in the world in richness and endemism. Primary colonization routes were from Borneo via Palawan and via Sulu archipelago. This high richness could not be attributed solely on colonization. Phylogenesis proves to be a dominant force in forming the tiger beetle fauna in the Philippines. This can be attributed to a high speciation rate in the country that may be much higher compared to a temperate setting.