Potential distribution of Akymnopellis chilensis (Gervais, 1847) (Scolopendridae, Scolopendromorpha, Chilopoda) through Random Forest and MaxEnt in Chilean ecosystems

Soto-Saravia, R., Vega-Román, E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5666-0433, Collado, G. A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9076-4255 and Pizarro-Araya, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1595-6924 (2026) Potential distribution of Akymnopellis chilensis (Gervais, 1847) (Scolopendridae, Scolopendromorpha, Chilopoda) through Random Forest and MaxEnt in Chilean ecosystems. Biogeographia – The Journal of Integrative Biogeography, 41 (1). a057. ISSN 2475-5257 doi: 10.21426/B6.48968

Abstract/Summary

Akymnopellis chilensis (Gervais, 1847) (Scolopendridae, Scolopendromorpha, Chilopoda), a centipede species endemic to Chile, plays a crucial role in soil ecosystems, but its distribution is still poorly studied. This study aims to predict its potential distribution using three variables sets to build two species distribution models (SDM). We ask: (1) which climatic and environmental variables best explain the distribution of this species, and (2) whether its predicted potential range extends beyond the currently known records. MaxEnt and Random Forest algorithms were performed using three sets of environmental variables: (1) core climate variables, (2) annual temperature and precipitation, and (3) seasonality of temperature and precipitation. All models showed good predictive performance (AUC > 0.92 in all cases) with high AUC values. Species distribution modelling in Chile is centred primarily between 30° and 40° S latitude. The results indicate that current records could underestimate its true distribution, and further studies are needed to validate the models.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/129272
Identification Number/DOI	10.21426/B6.48968
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Biological Sciences > Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
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