Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 36 (1991) (Pécs, 1992)

Természettudományok - Uherkovich, Ákos–Nógrádi, Sára: The Trichoptera fauna of Magyarszombatfa, West Hungary

THE TRICHOPTERA FAUNA OF MAGYARSZOMBATFA, WEST HUNGARY Ákos UHERKO VICH and Sára NÓGRÁDI Abstract. The richest collecting site in Trichoptera species is Magyarszombatfa in Hungary. More than 21 thousand specimens of 99 species have been taken during the past few years personally and mostly by light trap. The list of the entire collected material is given. Data are completed by maps, graphs and comments. This is the only one collecting site of some caddisfly species in Hungary. Introduction The scientific program .»Natural Environment of Hungarian Praealpine Zone" was organized during the years of 1974-75. One of the authors of this paper, Á. Uherkovich, joined the project at an early stage and he visited the southern parts of the studied area in September, 1974. The first important task was to organize the collections by light traps. One of these traps was set up at Magyarszombatfa and it functioned for three years ( 1975-77) for the first time. During this period all the larger moths (Macrolepidoptera) were selected from the material, they were elaborated and published (Uherkovich 1980,1983). Specimens of some other insect groups were selected, too, thus a part of caddisfly material was picked out. These materials were sent to S. Újhelyi, who determined them and published their data (Újhelyi 1981a). Two co-authors of this paper started their intensive activity on caddisflies in 1982. Therefore the function of light trap was revived from 23th September 1982 to study again the Trichoptera fauna of this region. Beside lighttrapping we collected also at daytime and at night a few times. The results exceeded all of our expectetions: huge masses of many species were taken during more than three years of this examination. The natural environment Magyarszombatfa lies in the most southern point of county Vas, close to the frontier to Slovenia. Its environs are low hilly region, the highest points do not surpass 250 meters. The slopes and the ridge of mounds are covered by ancient natural vegetation: mixed forests consisting of decidous trees and scotch fir. All along the region wide valley meadows and pastures were formed and kept up. Plough-lands cover relatively small areas. The ancient Rába river formed the surface during the Quaternary. Its detrital cone was deposited on the area of recent regions called „Órség" and „Vasi-hegyhát". Southward this detrital cone becomes thinner. The course of Rába river has moved to North. Later the surface was cut again and again by water courses. Nowadays several small streams run in the valleys, belonging to the catchment area of River Zala running to the Balaton and River Kerka running to the River Mura. At Magyarszombatfa the Szentgyörgyvölgy Stream runs. Its local name is „Falu-patak" used sometimes in the mentioned and neighbouring villages. Its springs can be found in Jugosvalia, in the vicinity of Ivanjsevci. This stream belongs to the water system of River Kerka (Fig. 1). The water output is relatively constant, as this territory of the country is rainy, the annual rainfall reaches 800 mm (31-32 inches) on the average. The summer is almost never dry. The upper branches of Szentgyörgyvölgy Stream run in their natural beds. Below Magyarszombatfa the bed has been canalized, the direction of running is regulated. Some fishponds were formed in the past, too. One of them is fed by the water of River Kerka, at village Bajánsenye, 6—8 km north-northeast from Magyarszombatfa. Methods and most important results As it was mentioned in the first paragraph, light traps were operated in two periods. The Trichoptera material was selected only in details in the first period (1975—77). No leptocerids, hydroptilids, polycentropodids and psy chomy ids were published from here by Újhelyi (1981a). During the second period all the Trichoptera specimens were selected. In 1982 only 19 species were found, as the operating period lasted from 23th September till 2nd November. In the years 1983, 1984 and 1985 61-75 species were taken yearly. During the years 1982-1985 we visited the site several times. We swept along the stream and on the marshy (hygrophilous) meadow by net around the light trap. Some species were collected only by this way. Our most fruitful night collection was on 17th May 1983, when 1033 specimens of 26 species were caught. On 20th June 1984 2565 specimens of 22 species were taken. Altogether 4901 males and 16 556 fameles of 99 species were collected during eleven years (Table 1). Summing up the collections of Southern part of County Vas and Western part of County Zala, several species are known from the XM19 square: 84 species A Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 36 (1991): 13—30. Pécs, Hungária, 1992.