L. Forró szerk.: Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 8. 1993 (Budapest, 1993)

Merkl, O.: Zoological collectings by the Hungarian Natural History Museum in Africa: a report on the Elgon Expedition, 1992

3. Afro-alpine belt (3500 m ). Without defined limit, the ericaceous belt is replaced by a grassland interspersed with the characteristic giant or tree groundsels (Senecio elgonensis in the lower reaches and S. barbatipes up to the summits) and giant species of Lobelia. Apart from grasses, the undergrowth comprises shrubby and weedy Helichrysum species, Alchemilla elgonensis and, on wet flats, bogs of Carex runssoroensis

. The occurrence of the spectacular giant groundsels is subject to quantity of ground water; on the rather dry Mt. Elgon they are randomly scattered in the grassland or form loose groves. The Mt. Elgon National Park of 170 square kilometres has been established on the eastern slope. It forms an altitudinal band displaying a variety of vegetation types from the savanna to Koitoboss Peak. Although nomadic pastoralists have been removed from the park and human activity is banned, skeletons of carbonified trees are commonplace in the upper grassland and poaching occurs regularly. Tourists rarely ascend above the lava caves of the lowest part of the park. In 1989, the Hungarian Scientific Africa Expedition stayed for a couple of days in a hut erected at 3000 m outside the national park (Vojnits, pers. comm.). However, according to the authorities, the hut got ruined completely since that time. Therefore, and because of tribal affairs the authorities advised to settle in the park. We approached it at the Chorlim Gate (2140 m a. s. 1.). Entering the park we were granted entire liberty in the choice of a site for camping. The site chosen was in the narrow ravine of the Kimothon River, 3200 m a. s. 1., about 18 kilometres from the Chorlim Gate and 8 kilometres below the rim of the caldera. Our base camp was established in a remnant patch of heavily mossed cloud forest, which provided some protection against extremities of the wheather and where the river (here a 2-meter wide creek) provided uncontaminated water supply. Our truck was sent back to Nairobi. A sufficient stock of food was left in the camp and the Suzuki for the sake of security. As usual for the afro-alpine climate, the diurnal amplitude of the temperature was quite important (near 0 C before sunrise and about 20 C in the warmest hours) and the daytime temperature changed rapidly subject to cloudiness and wind. In the moss forest patch, the temperature was much more balanced as a 24hour microclimate measure made by the botanist staff clearly proved it. During our trip, which took place in the dry season, the precipitation was negligible; apart from two very short rains we could not find even a drop of dew. Two light sources were applied for night collecting. The automatic light trap equipped with a UV tube was placed in the moss forest immediately in the vicinity of the camp, while the device consisting of a white sheet illuminated by blended light lamp was operated above the camp on a slope facing the ericaceous thicket. As for the results of the night collecting, there was a great deal of difference between the cloudy, slightly warmer and the harsh, cloudless nights. This was especially expressed by the number of hawk moths (Nephele) attracted; their number of specimens varied between zero and 50 in consecutive nights. The amount of moths was satisfactory while the beetles were represented by only a few specimens of a dung beetle (Aphodius) and a sole longicorn beetle, and similarly, wasp material was also poor. The light trap was operated every night from dusk to dawn, the illuminated sheet was used only in the less cold nights. Daytime collecting included first of all sweeping in the river valley and in the ericaceous belt, up to the neighbouring cliffs, Koroborte and Chemwote. The beetles swept were numerous but rather monotonous, because of the high altitude and dry season; the overwhelming majority belonged to a few species of Melyri-