Pleistocene-refugium
Guides
Amara alpina
Amara alpina is an arctic-alpine ground beetle in the family Carabidae, first described by Gustaf von Paykull in 1790. It inhabits cold regions at high altitudes and high latitudes across the Holarctic, with populations in Scandinavia, Siberia, Mongolia, Alaska, and Canada. Molecular genetic evidence indicates that Beringian populations persisted throughout the Pleistocene, while other regions were recolonized following glacial retreat. The species has been observed feeding on dead insects on snowfields and is associated with specific alpine vegetation.