The Beetles of Barbados, West Indies (Insecta: Coleoptera): Diversity, Distribution and Faunal Structure

Authors

Stewart Peck, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

4-10-2009

Comments

Published in INSECTA MUNDI: A Journal of World Insect Systematics, # 0073 (2009). Published by the Center for Systematic Entomology, Inc., Gainesville, FL. http://www.centerforsystematicentomology.org/ Copyright © 2009 by the authors.

Abstract

The beetle fauna of the island of Barbados is summarized. It is now known to contain 202 genera, and 254 species (in 40 families), of which 232 are named at the species level. Undoubtedly, the actual numbers of species on Barbados are much higher than now known. Nine species are possibly endemic to the island, 15 have been intentionally introduced, and 51 have probably been accidentally introduced through human activity. The remaining 157 named species may occur naturally as a result of natural over-water dispersal processes. These species mostly have a wide distribution in the Antilles and Latin America. The total named fauna is thus about 72% naturally occurring, and 28% the result of human-aided dispersal.