Abstract:

Aim: This study investigated sawflies communities in the Wuyanling National Nature Reserve, which preserves the most intact mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in East China. The objectives were to: (1) explore the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of sawfly diversity across different elevations and months; and (2) identify the environmental drivers shaping these diversity patterns. 

Methods: We established four fixed transects along an elevational gradient (categorized as low, lower-mid, mid, and high elevations) within the reserve. Repeated systematic surveys were conducted from March to July in 2023 and 2024 to compile a species checklist and obtain abundance data. 

Results: The results showed that regarding α diversity, sawfly species diversity and richness decreased significantly with increasing elevation (P < 0.05), and sawfly richness was significantly lower in July (P < 0.05), whereas the other diversity indices showed no significant differences among months (P > 0.05). Generalized Additive Model (GAM) results indicated that the response of species richness to elevation was characterized by multiple local peaks and valleys. Mean daily temperature exhibited a significant unimodal relationship with species richness, while humidity showed a weak non-linear effect. There were significant positive linear correlations between air pressure and species richness, as well as between elevation and community evenness. Regarding β diversity, community composition differed significantly across elevation zones and months, and was primarily driven by species turnover processes. Mantel tests revealed that the total variation in community composition and the spatial turnover component were significantly positively correlated with variations in multiple environmental factors, and community similarity decreased significantly with increasing environmental distance. 

Conclusion: This study supplements the regional checklist of sawfly taxa and systematically reveals the spatial distribution patterns of sawfly communities in Mt. Wuyanling. These findings provide essential baseline data for regional insect diversity surveys and offer insights for biodiversity conservation in subtropical mountain ecosystems.

Key words: sawfly taxa, species checklist, insects diversity distribution, Zhejiang Province