Assessing The Role of Bioclimatic Variables in Shaping Diptera Biodiversity and Distribution in District Faisalabad, Punjab

Agricultural and climatic changes are reshaping insect communities globally, yet the role of bioclimatic factors in determining Diptera diversity remains underexplored. This study examined the effects of temperature, precipitation, humidity, and seasonality on Diptera occurrence across 14 sites in District Faisalabad, Pakistan. Field observations of 11 ecologically and medically relevant species were analyzed alongside 19 WorldClim bioclimatic variables. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that temperature (PC1) and moisture (PC2) accounted for 61% of the environmental variation. Sites were grouped into four clusters warm, humid, cool, wet, cool and dry, and hot, dry each supporting distinct Diptera assemblages. K-means clustering validated these ecological groupings, highlighting microclimatic gradients as key drivers of species composition. Warm–humid sites harbored the highest richness, while arid and cooler areas supported more specialized or generalist taxa. Correlation analysis showed strong positive associations between Diptera abundance and both Bio5 (maximum temperature) and Bio12 (annual precipitation), suggesting these as primary predictors of species richness. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of temperature and moisture thresholds in shaping Diptera communities and offer a framework for forecasting climate-induced distribution shifts and managing key fly species.