S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 56. (Budapest, 1995)

Data on ground beetles captured by light traps in Hungary (Coleoptera, Carabidae) F. Kádár and Gy. Szél Data on ground beetles captured by light traps in Hungary (Coleoptera, Carabidae) - Data of 43 selected carabid species captured by light traps between 1981 and 1992 in Hungary are given. The reason of the low number of specimens is discussed. Ophonus subsinuatus Rey, 1886 and Dicheirotrichus gustavi Crotch, 1871 are new to the fauna of Hungary. With one figure. INTRODUCTION A number of carabid species capable of flying exhibit positive phototaxis (Karpova and Matalin 1991). Light trapping may provide much information on ground beetles. It may shed light upon the presence and spatial distribution of various species (e.g. Sciaky and Franzini 1976, Bousquet et al. 1984, Baehr 1986) and may show the change in flight pattern (Pausch 1979). In addition, light trap gives possibility to collect beetles in large numbers for various investigations or experiments (Tomiin 1975). Nearly half of the carabid species living in Hungary has been found to be attracted by light. In the material obtained by 25 light traps there are 36 species which are interesting from various points of view, e.g. - species with a few or only old locality records in Hungary; - species attracted by light is recorded for the first time. In this paper we give a list of these species with remarks on their occurrence and flying. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sites of the light traps are given in Fig. 1. The traps were operated between 1981 and 1992, twenty in the plant protection light trap network, one in the forestry light trap network (Sopron) and four in other sites (Pilismarót, Kompolt, Tahitótfalu and Zichyújfalu). Most light traps were operated with normal light bulb (100 W), with the exception of those of Pilismarót, Nyékládháza and Tahitótfalu (mercury vapour bulb, 125 W) and Kompolt (three kinds of lights: mercury vapour, 80 W; blended light, 160 W and normal, 100 W). All bulbs were placed at two meters above the ground. The traps were emptied daily. At first, we chose species which had not occurred in the earlier intensive collecting in agricultural areas (Kádár and Szél 1989).