Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 29-30/2. (2010)
Zoology
Petru Vasile ISTRATE Cetoniins are part of the big group of coleopteras from Scarabaeidae family which differ from other subfamilies through the border lateral of elytra sinuate. The metasternum also has a median, flat and wide or round anterior extension at the apical part. The dorsal color of the body, more or less shiny, metallic, including the species from Romania, is rarely black (Fig. 9). Materials and method The collecting of materials was made in 22-26.05.2010 - first investigation and 15 -19.06.2010 - second investigation. They had been chose three points of collecting: 1. North Dobrogea: Mäcinului mountain - on Taita valley, loc. Cetätuia and Greci peak, 467 m. 2. Central Dobrogea: Babadag plateau — Bujoarelor hill, 3 km north of Atmagea village, 3. South Dobrogea: Oltinei plateau - in Esechioi forest, Bäneasa-Canaraua Fetei. A lack of studies about cetoniinae until relative recently was constituted by the unknowing of efficient collecting methods. After introducing the widespread use of arboreal traps with fermented fruit baits, like new experimented combinations, and synthetic pheromones, the approaching of this group which belongs to the scarabaeidae family is easier. There were placed 7 arboreal traps for collecting cetoniinae (2 were lost). Two of this were placed in Mäcinului mountain near Cetätuia town, two in Babadag plateau, near Atmagea (one was lost), and the last three in Esechioi forest, near Esechioi village (one was lost). Location was made in the canopy of oaks at a 4—6 m height, in relatively sunny areas (forest edge), which favors the fermentation of sweet juice and attracts insects. Their placement had been made at the end of may, when begins the maximum period of flight at insects. It was used as a bait a composition made of wine, sugar, bananas with form of rings and salt, last for conservation. Checking the traps was made after about 3 weeks, during the second investigation. Besides flower chafers, it had been collected an apreciable number of cerambycidae, but also a small number of coleopteras insects belonging to other families. A part of flower chafers were collected directly on field, after the inspection of stalks and inflorescences of herbaceous plants, especially Carduus sp. and Cirsium sp. The killing of alive insects was made in acetic ether and their safe keeping in 70% alcohol. It had also been collected an important material of cerambycidae coleopteras, buprestidae, carabidae, and from scarabaeidae in general. It was made an appreciable number of photos of the habitats in which these coleopteras live, including insects found in their living environment. Results and discussion: Collection points: 1. North Dobrogea: Mäcinului mountain-on Taita valley, loc. Cetätuia and Greci peak, 467 m. The habitat characteristics are the thermophillic and submediteranean forests of oak, turkey oak forests, lime, oriental hornbeam from Dobrogea, both widespread on the eastern slope, while on the ridge appears a mosaic of forests and steppe in which alternates the moesian forests of downy oak, pontic grey of tukey oak (Fig. 1) and rocky steppe grassland. 2. Central Dobrogea: Babadag plateau - Bujoarelor hill, 3 km north of Atmagea village. The arrangement of forest on the south slope of Bujoarelor hill, is formed of thermophile species of turkey oak, hornbeam, lime, downy oak and flowering ash. In spring, in steppe stitches are blooming abundant forest peonies, Paeonia peregrina (Fig. 2). 3. South Dobrogea: Oltinei plateau, Esechioi forest. Xerophile oaks forest: downy oaks, turkey oak (forming compact groups), italian oak and oriental hornbeam (Fig. 3). The forest 96
