S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 27/1. (Budapest, 1974)

FOLIA ENTOMOLOGICA HUNGARICA ROVARTANI KÖZLEMÉNYEK (SERIES NOVA) XXVIl. 1. 1974. p. 161-165 Dedicated to Dr. G. Szelényi on his 70th birthday Study on the structure of moth communities living on pomaceous plants in Hungary, according to G. Szelényi's zoocenological concepts By J. PAPP and G. REICHART (Received December 20, 1973) Abstract: The paper aims to report data on the structure of moth communities active in the spring on pomaceous host plants, with reference to G. SZELÉNYI'

s zoocenological concepts. According to SZELÉNYI (1966) an animal community can be called zoocenosis only if at least two interacting structural elements (coetus) are present, with other words, only those communities can be regarded zoocenoses in which concrete and essential connections can be demonstrated between populations belonging to two or more coetuses. In the present study the authors intend to show effective connections between the different members of moth communities living on pomaceous plants (apple, pear and medlar) in Hungary. In those communities the elementar unit of the community, called "catena" consists of two coetuses, i.e. of populations belonging to the "corrumpent" (phytophagous) and to the"obstant" (parasite) coetuses. According to the definitions presented by SZELÉNYI (1956) the above mentioned terms- and also those given in the Tables- can be elucidated as follows: 1. CORRUMPENT elements are those populations whicht thrive on living plants and exploit the food supply presented by them. This exploitation may lead in some cases to destruction or to partial transformation of a given vegetation^ 2. OBSTANT elements, are the populations which live on other animal populations reducing their density;