The Beetles (Coleoptera) of Príncipe, São Tomé and Annobón

International audienceAbstract The known beetle fauna of Príncipe, São Tomé, and Annobón amounts to 403 species and subspecies, of which 190 (47%) are endemic. The most diverse families of beetles are the Cerambycidae (61 species), the Tenebrionidae (57 species), the Carabidae (45 species), the Scarabaeidae (34 species), and the Coccinellidae (31 species). Most records come from São Tomé, with 297 species. In comparison, Príncipe, with 151 recorded species, and especially Annobón, with 16 recorded species, still require extensive faunistic investigations. The families Staphylinidae and Curculionidae probably hold numerous undescribed species and should be the focus of future research. Most of the endemic species live in forests. Therefore, the continued conservation of large forest areas on the islands is key to the long-term survival of their unique beetle fauna. As elsewhere, the beetle fauna will likely suffer from the effects of climatic change, and high-altitude species are likely to be the most severely affected