Poster Abstract: The short history of regular studies of the insect faunas of the alpine life zone in the Urals and Siberia as specific units still leaves numerous gaps in our knowledge of their biodiversity and ecology. This fact and the relatively low diversity of alpine faunas is compensated by high rate of endemic and relict forms. Such forms are useful in restoring former faunistic connections dated back to the glacial period or even Tertiary. Coleopterans, mostly wingless and limited in distribution, are the best objects here, especially herbivorous groups connected with plants. Such species prove well the subdivision of the alpine vegetation of Northern Eurasia between the true alpine type and the mountain tundra type. Leaf beetles show connections between European mountains and Altai-Sayan region in Siberia while the Urals are mostly connected with the mountains of Eastern Siberia. The role of the Arctic tundra zonobiome as a corridor between very distant mountain systems and interrelations between arctic-alpine insect groups still need further studies. Glacial tundra-steppe left isolated populations of a few insect groups and some of them found refuges in the mountains. Several forms in South Ural and Siberia are related to exact Mediterranean forms - both used refugia for survival.

The finding of species new to science in the mountains, clarifying of distributions and ecology of known species are still in progress and these progressively help to clarify the whole picture.