Biodiversity research in tropical ecosystems-popularized as the most biodiverse habitats on Earth-often neglects invertebrates, yet invertebrates represent the bulk of local species richness. Insect communities in particular remain strongly impeded by both Linnaean and Wallacean shortfalls, and identifying species often remains a formidable challenge inhibiting the use of these organisms as indicators for ecological and conservation studies. Here we use DNA barcoding as an alternative to the traditional taxonomic approach for characterizing and comparing the diversity of moth communities in two different ecosystems in Gabon. Though sampling remains very incomplete, as evidenced by the high proportion (59%) of species represented by singletons, our results reveal an outstanding diversity. With about 3500 specimens sequenced and representing 1385 BINs (Barcode Index Numbers, used as a proxy to species) in 23 families, the diversity of moths in the two sites sampled is higher than the current number of species listed for the entire country, highlighting the huge gap in biodiversity knowledge for this country. Both seasonal and spatial turnovers are strikingly high (18.3% of BINs shared between seasons, and 13.3% between sites) and draw attention to the need to account for these when running regional surveys. Our results also highlight the richness and singularity of savannah environments and emphasize the status of Central African ecosystems as hotspots of biodiversity.

c Institut de Systématique Evolution Biodiversité Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle CNRS Sorbonne Université EPHE 57 rue Cuvier CP 50 75005 Paris France

e Centre for Biodiversity Genomics Biodiversity Institute of Ontario University of Guelph Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada

f Laboratoire Evolution Génomes Comportement Ecologie Avenue de la Terrasse Bâtiment 13 Boite Postale 1 91198 Gif sur Yvette France

Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice Branišovská 1760 37005 České Budjovice Czech Republic b Biology Center Institute of Entomology The Czech Academy of Science Branišovská 31 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic

g INRA UR633 Zoologie Forestière F 45075 Orléans France

h Institut de Recherches en Ecologie Tropicale Libreville Gabon

h Institut de Recherches en Ecologie Tropicale Libreville Gabon i Département de Biologie Faculté des Sciences Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku BP 943 Franceville Gabon

Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte UMR 7261 CNRS Université de Tours UFR Sciences et Techniques Tours France

Institut de Recherches Agronomique et Forestière Libreville Gabon

j Nicolas Moulin Entomologiste 82 route de l'Ecole 76680 Montérolier France

k Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux UMR 208 IRD MNHN 57 rue Cuvier Case Postale 26 75231 Paris cedex 05 France

m International Centre for Medical Research Franceville Gabon

Normandie Université UNIROUEN UNICAEN CNRS M2C UMR 6143 Place Emile Blondel Bâtiment IRESE A 76821 Mont Saint Aignan Cedex France

o Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive 1919 Route de Mende F 34293 Montpellier France

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