Niche evolution of Tibetan-Himalayan Rhyacophilidae (Trichoptera) II: Comparative Phylogeography and Niche Differentiation of Alpine/Subalpine Himalopsyche of the Himalayan/QTP Region

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In the first phase of DFG research cluster PAK 807/1 Origin and Evolution of Tibetan-Himalayan biotas we assessed the deeper diversification, biogeography and niche evolution of the caddisfly genus Himalopsyche in the Himalaya/Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) region. In the second phase, we will focus on recent biodiversity evolution, i.e. intraspecific diversification and species-level niche differentiation. These processes are most likely associated with species range contractions and expansions during glacial cycles. The objective of this follow-up proposal is thus to study the phylogeography and niche differentiation of selected caddisfly species in the Himalayan/QTP region. Specifically we will1) compare the phylogeography of two alpine/subalpine species pairs of Himalopsyche along the Himalayan range and the Hengduan Mountains with a large-scale multi-locus phylogeographic approach based on anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) data to test hypotheses using a coalescent analytical framework; and2) develop a high-resolution spatial dataset of relevant freshwater environmental layers along the stream network occupied by our target species.Using these data, as well as paleoclimate and paleovegetation models generated in the umbrella project (Proposal A: Hickler et al. Neogene dynamics of climate and biomes as potential drivers of diversification patterns in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) region), we will thenA) assess genetic population structure and infer the demographic and migratory history of the target species;B) elucidate putative niche differentiation of the alpine/subalpine species pairs, including climate niches and biome associations; andC) infer the historical distributions in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Last Interglacial (LIG) based on a comparison of species distribution model experiments and molecular data analysis.The project will generate insights on the importance of topography on migration patterns of aquatic insects and the role of mountain ranges as species pumps under environmental change.