Regional assemblages shaped by historical and contemporary factors: evidence from a species-rich insect group

Understanding the complex diversity patterns is one of the main aims of community ecology. It is important to take both historical and contemporary factors into account in investigating the potential roles in assembling diversity patterns. Here, We compared diversity patterns of two moth assemblages sampled from Taihang and Yanshan mountains in Northern China and performed ancestral range reconstructions using the Multi-State-Speciation and Extinction model to track the origins of these patterns. We subsequently estimate diversification rates of the two moth assemblages. Finally, we explored the effects of contemporary ecological factors on diversity patterns. From 7788 specimens we identified to 835 species belonging to 23 families, using both DNA barcode analysis and morphology. Overall, moths in YS mountains showed higher species diversity and phylogenetic diversity than in TH mountains. Ancestral range analysis indicated YS as the origin. Significant historical dispersals from YS to...