Diversity of Geadephaga (Coleoptera: Carabidae and Cicindelidae) in Colombia: an approach from existing literature

Abstract

The beetle families Carabidae and Cicindelidae, with about 40 000 species worldwide, play an increasing role in biodiversity conservation and ecological studies in Colombia, which makes a faunistic update all the more necessary. We present and analyze a checklist of the species so far described or registered from Colombia until 2020, based on published studies, and their distribution data at the department level. Carabidae are represented by 625 species and Cicindelidae by 100. Magdalena, Cundinamarca and Valle del Cauca are the departments with the highest record numbers of Carabidae, while Cicindelidae are most frequently cited from Valle del Cauca, Antioquia and Meta. The greater sampling effort in these regions is likely due to the accessibility of their natural areas from the main towns. The geographical distribution of Cicindelidae is better documented, with only 17 % of the species without mention of specific localities within the country, against 40 % in Carabidae. Hyper-diverse regions, such as the Chocó and the Amazon, are underrepresented. The number of species currently recorded is therefore estimated to be much lower than true diversity for both families.