Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/2. (2011)
Zoology
LATEST DATA CONCERNING THE SPREAD OF PHYTOPHAGOUS CERAM В YCIDAE COLEOPTERA IN THE TÁRNÁVÁ GEOGRAPHICAL BASIN Petru Vasile ISTRATE Colegiul National “Alexandru Papiu Ilarian” Tärgu-Mures, str. Bernady György nr. 12, RO—540072 Tárgu-Mures Abstract: This work wants to bring a substantial contribution to the effort of studying the coleopteras from the family Cerambycidae/longhorn beetles, phytophagous cerambycidae from the Tárnává geographical basin. The author made in this purpose many journeys of collecting longhorn beetles over a period of time more than a decade beginning in 1998. The biggest part of cerambycidae family are xilofagous, but there are also a significant number of phytophagous species which grows inside grassy plant stems. The phytophagous cerambycidae acquisition were carried out in the main areas with grassy vegetation from the western part of the Tárnave plateau mainly Tarnävenilor peak, Cornejti-Cetatea de Balta zone, steppe zones from Biia — Ocnijoara and Nature 2000 Site Sighisoara-Tárnava Mare. There were collected samples belonging to 22 species, which represents three subfamilies. From the species collected, two are rare: Pilemia. tigrina and Musaria árgus. The phytophagous longhorn beetles appear by installment throughout the grassy plants vegetation period. Keywords: cerambycidae, phytophagous, stems, steppe. Introduction The longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) can be recognized by its extended body and its long antennas which generally reach or exceed the edge of the elytra. The eyes are usually strongly notched. The tarsi appear to be composed of four segments with the third segment bilobed, but they are actually five-segmented. The fourth segment is small and concealed in the notch of the third segment; it is often very difficult to see [4]. There are approximately 25000 known species, the majority of which spread in Neotropical and Oriental fauna. Among them the biggest species of Coleoptera, some Prioninae from Amazonian rain forests can reach up to 17 cm in length including the mandibles — Macrodontia cervicornis, or Titanus giganteus, the biggest known coleoptera. Xixuthrus heros and the related species are the biggest cerambycidae known in Indonézia. Romania’s fauna includes 250 species, the biggest part of cerambycidae being xilophagous, but also a significant number of phytophagous species which develop inside the stems of the grassy plants. Several new species were described [2]. The fauna of phytophagous cerambycidae offer a thorough image about the spread of the natural grassy formations as well as about the degree in which these formations were affected by human activities such as grazing, mowing, agriculture fields. In the last decades, a new series of new data were brought, especially by finding out about host plants and the development M A R I S I A, XXXI, p. 55-62
