S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 31/1. (Budapest, 1978)

FOLIA ENTOMOLOGICA HUNG AR ICA ROVARTANI KÖZLEMÉNYEK (SERIES NOVA) XXXI. 1. 1978 P- 11-16 The Collectings of the Hungarian Natural History Museum in Tunisia 4. Report of the zoological results of the second collecting trip in 1977 liv S. M A HUNK A and L. M AHUNKA-PAPP (Keceivetl November L. 1977) Abstract: Report on the collecting trip made between the 1 Oth and 25th of September, 1977 in Tunisia. Besides the description of the principal collecting sites, a detailed list of collecting localities corresponding with the spring expedition of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest is given. In the year of 1977, some research workers of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, through an interstate agreement had the opportunity to carry out zoological and botanical collectings inTunisia. A report giving details about the course and results, well complemented with a list of collection data, had already been published (GOZMÁNY and MAHUNKA 1977). The good impressions of the spring trip stimulated us to find further opportunities to visit this country. Through the fortunate coincidences of multilateral support in thé autumn of the same year as private visitors we were given the chance again to collect in Tunisia. This present contribution gives particulars about our trip there. Since our travelling was effected through a charter flight obviously we were much limited in transporting special collecting devices. The great hindrance of such trips is the narrow limit of choice as far as collecting localities are concerned. In the present case the trips were organized to the seashore on the eastern parts of Tunisia. One can imagine the restrictions if we consider that we had full board in one and the same hotel. There was only one advantage in this situation that in spring we had not visited this locality, and the surroundings of the hotel were quite favourable for making extensive collectings, which was partly due to the fact that this area was only recently exploited for touristic purposes. We departed from Geneva on the 10th of September, 1977, and our base was set up at Skanés, a holiday resort between Monastir and Sousse. Starting out from here we could work in the environs of the two big towns, reached alsoKairouan and had a longer trip through Nabeul to Tunis. These localities, exceptingKairouan, had not been visited by us in spring. Our principal collecting site was the Sahel area between Monastir and Sousse. Here in principle three basic biotopes could be differentiated: 1. A narrow, sandy strip of the seashore, interrupted here and there by stony stretches. 2. A dry, clayey-marl soil somewhat off the seashore. 3. Salt-lakes and marshes and adjacent saline areas comprising very extensive territories.