S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 58. (Budapest, 1997)

ROVARTANI KÖZLEMÉNYEK LVIII 1997 pp. 169-171 Contribution to the knowledge of the Noctuidae fauna of Kuwait (Lepidoptera)* L. Ronkay Contribution to the knowledge of the Noctuidae fauna of Kuwait (Lepidoptera) - An annotated list of 36 Noctuidae species collected in Kuwait in the last two years. INTRODUCTION A rather small but interesting material was studied, collected by a light trap in four periods of the years 1996-1997 in Kuwait, at the university campus in Shuwaikh. The Lepidopterans of the light trap material were selected and taken for identification by Prof. O. Sey. The pinned and partly set Noctuidae material is preserved in the collection of the HNHM. The largest part of the material consists of migrant species, some of them are wellknown agricultural pests, a few other taxa are widespread Palaeotropical species, while about one-third of the species represented in the material are characteristic for eremic habitats. All these faunistically interesting species have already been recorded from different parts of the Arabian peninsula but only a few records are known from the territory of Kuwait. LIST OF SPECIES Heliothis nubigera Herrich-Schäffer, 1851- 23. X-26. XII. 1996; 25. 11-15. III. 1997. Heliothis peltigera (Denis et Schiffermüller, 1775)-V-VI. 1997. Rhodocleptria incarnata (Freyer, 1838)- 15-30. III. 1996. Masalia albida (Hampson, 1905) - V-VI. 1997; a single specimen was found. Agrotis biconica Kollar, 1844- 15-30. III. 1996; V-VI. 1997. Agrotis haifae Staudinger, 1897 - 33 specimens, 23. X-26. XII. 1996. A characteristic Saharo-Arabian species; an isolated population is recorded from Greece (Hacker 1990), which is yet missing from the monograph of the European Noctuinae (Fibiger 1990). Agrotis herzogi Rebel, 1911 -25. 11-15. III. 1997. Saharo-Sindian. Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel, 1766)-25. 11-15. III. 1997, V-VI. 1997. Agrotis segetum (Denis et Schiffermüller, 1775)-25.11-15. III. 1997. * The research was supported by the Hungarian National Scientific Research Fund (OTKA 16465).