New Distributional Records and Characterization of the Climatic Niche of Lepturges (Lepturges) limpidus Bates, 1872 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae): Sink or Source Population?

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are one of the most diverse, ecologically and economically important groups of beetles in the world. In the Neotropical Region, more than 8000 species are known and new records are added each year, linked to increased international trade, reduced transport times, and an increase in the number of potential vectors. In this study, we report Lepturges (Lepturges) limpidus as an exotic species in Argentina and discuss the potential drivers of its expansion through modeling to help understand and predict the possible geographic distributions of the species as a function of environmental factors. In addition, in view of the results obtained, we discuss the relevance of biomonitoring programs and field studies to detect the arrival of potential invasive alien species in the region. ABSTRACT: A growing number of cases of the spread and establishment of non-native species outside their previously known ranges has been reported in recent years. Here we report new distributional records of Lepturges (Lepturges) limpidus Bates, 1872 (Cerambycidae) from Argentina and investigate whether these records could represent established populations. We constructed ellipsoid envelope models to characterize climatic niches of L. limpidus, identified areas of climatic suitability, investigated the status of new records as climatic outliers, and evaluated its dependency on its known hostplant as a limiting factor for the beetle distribution. Results indicate widespread climatic suitability in the Neotropical Region, and new records are not outliers with regard to the climatic profile of L. limpidus. Association with its known hostplant is non-dependent, indicating that the species might utilize different hosts plants. New records likely represent established populations, but targeted surveys should be carried out to detect new arrivals and enable the installation of mitigation and control measures.