Thibaud J.-M. 2014. Essai sur l’état des connaissances de la diversité des Collemboles de l’Archipel des Antilles // Russian Entomol. J. Vol.23. No.4: 227–248 [in French, with English summary].
Dept. Systématique & Evolution, Entomologie - CP 50, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle. F-75231 Paris Cedex 05, France. E-mail: thibaud@mnhn.fr
KEY WORDS: Collembola, neotropical, systematics, fauna, historical, biogeography, ecology, islands, Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barts, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, the Desirade, the Saintes, Marie Galante, the Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Barbados, Trinidad-Tobago.
ABSTRACT. The state of our taxonomic and geographic knowledge of Collembola from the West Indies Archipelago is presented, country by country, with their bibliography. Among these 218 species, 73 are presumed endemic (about 33.5%), 58 are neotropical (26%), 30 cosmopolitan (14%), 26 from the West Indies (12%), 14 from the American continent (6.5%), 7 pantropical (3%) and 10 are common to Europe, Asia or the Holarctic. Up to 72% of the fauna are Neotropical. The best represented families are Entomobryidae with 58 species, Isotomidae with 26 species, Hypogastruridae with 23 species, Neanuridae-Pseudachorutinae and Paronellidae with 17 species each, followed by Tullbergiidae with 10 species. Endemic species are especially readily found in Entomobryidae (26), followed by Paronellidae (9), Hypogastruridae and Neanuridae-Neanurinae (5 species each). Only Collembola from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe and Martinique seem to be rather well known. Collembola of the West Indies insular arch might have originated by dispersal on and above the sea, especially from the South American continent. In fact these little Hexapoda are readily transported by transoceanic “rafts” and wind, since some Collembola have been collected in aerian “plankton”, up to an altitude of 2000 m. The latest colonists must have been introduced by human activities. Collembola from the Greater Antilles differ much from those of the Lesser Antilles. As nearly all insular populations of Collembola are small, they are usually subjected to stronger human activities such as habitat destruction through urbanization and human overpopulation, as well as agri- and horticulture with accompanying introductions of alien species. All this brings about biodiversity impoverishment.