Boros István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 4. (Budapest 1952)

Kovács, L.: The Eupithecia communities and the problems of their evolution in our swamps and reeds (Lepid.)

The Eupithecia Communities and the Problems of their Evolution in our Swamps and Reeds (Lepid.) By L. Kovács, Budapest Considering the species and the spreading of Eupithecia in Hungary we were dependent hitherto on the data contained in the Fauna Regni Hungáriáé, and Abafi-Aigner: Magyarország nagylepkéi (The Butterflies and Macro-Moths of Hungary). During a period of some decades, passed since the publication of these books, numerous new data came into our possession the majority of which are not yet published. As regards their data, some justifiable doubts emerged from the results of tne older researches, necessitating their re-examination. In the cases of the newest data, the most important are those which were gained by the exploration of our swampy areas. The most important researches were performed in-the course of the planned collectings of the Museum, though some of our amateur collectors took also a successful part in them. The material now at our disposal makes it possible to give a comprehensive picture of our Eupithecia living in our swampy territories, and, at the same time, gives a chance to examine other problems in connection with them. The basic material of the present treatise can be divided, according to the time and locality of the collectings, into the following groups : 1. The Eupithecia obtained during the planned collectings in the Reservation swamps of Bátorliget and in its nearest neighbourhood, in 1948/50. This collecting was made quantitatively, with an approximate accuracy. The plant associations visited were very diverse : there were, among the associations of the swamps, also flood-area woods and a dry oak forest. — 2. The Eupithecia collected in, and around the Kisbalaton, in 1950. They were collected quantitatively, and with absolute accuracy. The plant associations were predominantly oak and hornbeam woods, and the extensive reeds grown in the erstwhile bottom* of the lake. There were also the remains of marshy plant associations in one

; part of the forest. — 3. The Eupithecia collected in the marshy alder woods of Ócsa and in the neighbouring marshy meadows, in 1947/49. The collectings were carried out both in a scarcely timbered wood of older trees, and in the bordering meadows of mixed Molinia caerulea and sedge vegetation. On this area, reaping and the clearing of bushes was plainly visible. The collectings were performed rather accurately, on a quantitative basis.

—4. The collectings in the marshy alder woods of Ócsa, in 1952. This was carried out strictly quantitatively. In the place of collectings the tree stratum is represented by Alnus glutinosa, and partly by its consociation of Fraxinus excelsior. In one collecting site there were smaller reedy spots with Calystegia, and Urtica. — 5. For the sake of comparison we have also taken into consideration the small Eupithecia material originating from the reeds stretching between Dinnyés and Pákozd, along the shore of Lake-Velence. Though collectings were not regular here, they were carried out during almost the whole collecting season. The reeds were not cut at first only the smaller intermediate meadows were reaped ; now the reeds arc also regularly cut. We have also used, eventually, the data of collectings, of publications and records during the work on the above basic material. Insofar the respective materials were not in our hands, we worked eclectically, as we could not agree with the data of literature in all cases. Of the collections we have availed ourselves of the ma-