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

the identification of our material. On the other hand, the central and northern parts are poorly studied, recently only Alberti (1969) published data. The geometrid fauna of the Checheno-Ingoush Republic is almost completely unknown, since the territory was closed since 1917 and was opened to foreigners only a few years ago. The unfortunate political events after 1992 seem to prolong this situation. The routes of the expeditions were planned to visit as many vegetation (and habitat) types as possible. The collectings were made in almost all large zones, from the lowland sandy steppes through the medium high inland basins and forests up to the subalpine and alpine meadows. The collecting sites are localised in four main areas of the country: 1. The south-western border zone, north-northeast from the Kazbek range (Furtoug, Torgim, Nelch-Assa, Shkolniy pereval, Olgeti, San 2300 m, 2900 m, Fortanga). 2. The dry inner basin between the main chain of the Caucasus and the Skalistiy Mts, south from Grozniy (Kerigo, 1000 m, Itum-Kale, 1000 m). 3. The Daghestan border of the country (Kezenoy-am, 1700-2000 m, Harachoy, 1100 m). 4. The lowland steppe region northwards from the Caucasus (Voskresenskoye, Starogladovskaya, Budari Lakes). As a general feature, it can be stated that there is a great similarity between the composition of the Geometridae fauna of the northern Caucasus and the central European high mountains and the main chain of the Caucasus represents the zoogeographical barrier for most of the distinctive faunal elements. Besides the dominance of the species distributed widely in most of the European high mountains (e.g. Dysstroma citrata, Alcis repandata, Campaea margaritata, Colostygia pectinataria, C. aptata, C, olivata, Triphosa dubitata, Euphyia biangulata, Ennomos quercinarius, Scotopteryx bipunctaria, Scotopteryx chenopodiata, Bapta temerata, Hydriomena furcata, Rhodostrophia vibicaria, Plagodis dolabraria, Gnophos obscuratus, Epirrhoe alternata, Xanthorhoe biriviata, X. quadrifasiata, X. ferrugata, Philereme transversata, etc.), a series of species being characteristic (or endemic) for the Caucasus are found in the Checheno-Ingoush Republic (e.g. Stamnodes depeculata, Scotopteryx subvicinaria, S. alpherakii, Trichodezia haberhaueri, etc.). Furthermore, this region represents the western border of distribution of some Asiatic species (e.g. Xanthorhoe rectifasciaria, Heterolocha laminaria, Aspitates acuminaria, etc.). Some characteristically Central Asiatic genera (Lithostege, Gnopharmia, Phaselia, Rhodometra etc.), containing univoltine vernal species, inhabiting the lowland and mountain steppes are poorly represented in the material, since the the planned early spring expeditions were cancelled due to the civil war that started in 1992. List of the localities (and the collectors, the non-lepidopterist members of the expeditions are given in brackets) 1988: B. Herczig, Z. Mészáros and K. Szeőke (A. Sárközi, H. Czeglarska E. & I. Oláh) 1. (Daghestan), Manashkent, 1. VIII. 1988; 2. Furtoug, 1000 m, 3. VIII. 1988; 3. Torgim, 1180 m, 4-6. VEX 1988; 4. Shkolniy pereval, 2100 m, 5. VIII. 1988; 5. Nelch-Assa, 1300 m, 7. VIII

. 1988; 6. Kerigo, 1000 m, 9-10. VIII. 1988;