Anomalous latitudinal gradients in parasitoid wasp diversity-Hotspots in regions with larger temperature range.

ABSTRACT: Knowledge of global patterns of genetic diversity is essential for biodiversity conservation as this parameter describes the ability of a species to respond to environmental changes. Ichneumonoids parasitoid wasps are among the few taxa showing an anomalous latitudinal diversity gradient. Using the largest georeferenced molecular dataset for this group, we used a macrogenetics approach to examine latitudinal patterns and predictors of intraspecific genetic diversity. We calculated the mean nucleotide diversity of mitochondrial DNA barcode sequences at three geographic levels: grid cells, latitudinal bands and climatic zones. Nucleotide diversity values were consistently higher at northern temperate latitudes, peaking at 50°. We found a positive but weak relationship between intraspecific d

SUBMITTER: Castellanos-Labarcena J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11880658 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature