Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 28 (1983) (Pécs, 1984)

Természettudományok - Uherkovich, Ákos: Lepidoptera on birch and alder in South and West Transdanubia, Hungary

42 ÁKOS UHERKOVICH The third one, Achlya (Polyploca) ílavicornis L. (the Yellow Horned Moth) is fairly rare, a few specimens were collected in our area. It is on the wing very early, in March, or sometimes, in February. 4. A larger group of moths live practically on alder, but sometimes we can read of other foodplants, too. Hydraelia sylvata Den. et Schiff. (= testacearia Don., testacea Donz.) was mentioned first by Rézbányai (1969), and, according to Issekutz (1971), was collected in the adjoining South Burgenland, Austria. Only one recent specimen was captured in West Transdanubia, at the alder moors of Magyarszombatfa (Uherkovich 1980c). Further three species (Ennomos alniaria L., Eulype hastata L„ Lithophane consocia Hufn.) have single data of the western zone, only. Lithophane iurciiera Hufn. and Plemyria rubiginata Den. et Schiff. (= bicolorata Hufn.) are videly distributed but rare species in alder groves and moors. The L. iurciiera is most common in some points of western parts, e. g. Magyarszombatfa, whereas P. rubiginata Den. et Schiff, more frequent in alder groves of the southern parts (Figs. 12-13). Further six species live in all aldar groves and moors of the examined area and they are very common.. They occur in very small stands, too, e. g. on alder rows along brooks in valleys, in small alder groups, or on isolated alder trees. The one-brooded Hydriomena caerulata F. often becomes a dominant species, e. g. in the forest of the Drava Flatland. The other five species are less frequent but occur regularly. They are: Euchoeca nebulata Scop., Apatele cuspis Hbn., Drepana curvatula Bkh., Tethea duplaris L. and Aethalura punctulata Den. et Schiff. (Figs. 14-19). 5. The fifth group contains diiierent polyphagous species, but they live on alder or birch, too, and were earlier supposed to be monophagous or amphiphagous ones. Apatele alni L. is a polyphagous species living on alder, oak and maybe other deciduous trees. The first domestic specimen was captured at Keszthely with a prognostic plant protection

. light trap (Kovács 1957). In the past two decades it has expanded its area and became frequent on South Transdanubia (Fig. 20). The first foodplant of Hipparchos papilionaria L. is alder, but it eats beech, also. In some points of our area it was observed that it was common in beeches, too. But its main foodplant is still alder, and it can be very common on the Drava Flatland or in alder groves of Belső-Somogy as well as in alder stands of valleys in Zselic Downs or Őrség, County Vas, W-Hungary (Fig. 21). Hydraelia ilammeolaria Hufn. is known as an alder-eating species, but indeed it is a very polyphagous one distributed all over the country, on the afforested parts mostly (Fig. 22). Oporinia autumnata Bkh. is a new discovered member of the domestic fauna, too (Kovács 1953). It is on the spread and has been found on several points of Northern Mountain Range and Transdanubia. It can be frequent on some places, and sometimes occurs on drier biotops, too. Birch and larch, but willow and others, are also described in literature as its foodplants (Fig. 23). Calocalpe undulata L. has been known some years ago as a rarity. We knew only 2 or 3 data of its occurence. It has started its expansion in the last decade in South Transdanubia, too, and reaches the area of the Zselic Downs and Dráva Flatland. Most of its specimens were captured with light traps but it was lamped by the author, too (Fig. 24). Generation, phenology and quantity 1. About half of the 27 discussed species form only one generation. a) Early spring species are as follows: Archiearis (Brephos) parthenias L., Endromis versicolor L., Achlya (Polyploca) ílavicornis Hbn. Their fligt periods depends on the weather, e. g. they can hatch out at the end of February or in the first days of March, or the beginning of April in unfavourable weather. b) The summer species are on the wing in middle of May-July (Leucodonta bicoloria Den. et Schiff., Tetheella iluctuosa Hbn., Hydraelia sylvata Den. et Schiff., Plemyria rübiginata Den. et Schiff., Hydriomena caerülata F., Hipparchos papilionaria L., Calocalpe undülata L.). H. papilionaria can form its partial second brood in August-September. c) Oporinia autumnata Bkh. swarms in late autumn (October-November)

. d) One of them, Lithophane iurciiera Hufn. develops in the autumn, then hibernates, and is again on the wing in March-April (sometimes in May, still). 2. The other half of the 27 has two generations. The first generation emerges in April-May, the second one in summer (July-August, sometimes in September)

. The quantity of these species is generally low. Sometimes single species could reach big masses, as Hydriomena caerulata F. did several times in the larger alder groves in South Transdanubia. In our collections we have observed the following: