Integrating morphology and DNA barcoding reveals the diversity and biogeographical composition of Chrysomelinae insects in Anhui

The subfamily Galerucinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is rich species-rich and widely distributed, and has important economic and biological significance. Anhui Province is located at the junction of the Palearctic and Oriental regions in China, and harbors abundant insect resources, including a wide variety of species in Galerucinae. However, the species diversity and faunal composition survey of Galerucinae in Anhui Province remains unclear.

To understand the species composition and faunal charateristics of Galerucinae in Anhui Province, this study integrated morphological and molecular data for taxonomic identification and faunal analysis, and established a combined morphological and DNA barcode database.

The results showed that: 1) Based on morphological characteristics, a total of 134 morphological species of Galerucinae were identified, accompanied by 132 habitus photographs and 134 DNA barcode sequences. 2) By integrating morphological identification and molecular species delimitation, 78 valid species belonging to 33 genera were recognized, of which 53species were identified to species level, including 16 newly recorded genera and 41 newly recorded species for Anhui Province. 3) Faunal analysis based on COI barcode sequences revealed that the Galerucidae fauna in Anhui is predominantly Oriental, with a smaller Palaearctic component, accounting for 92.54% and 7.46%, respectively.

This study systematically reveals the species composition and faunal structure of Galerucinae in Anhui Province. The established integrative morphological-molecular identification system and the discovery of numerous new records provide essential baseline data and a scientific foundation for future studies on leaf beetles diversity, ecological monitoring, and integrated pest management in this region and beyond.