Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 59. (Budapest 1967)

Kovács, L.: Data to the knowledge of Hungarian Macrolepidoptera II. Comparative population studies on three arctiid species by the aid of light traps

probably because vegetation is rather sparse in early spring and the larva is easily noticed, whereas it were more laborious to search for the larva among the flourishing plant cover in the summer. However, the light traps are continuously capturing the imagos from the end of April until September, except for a short summer interval, and this would point to more than one generation. The curve illustrating the decurrence of flight and its characteristics had been plotted on light trap data gained during eight years (cf. Graph 2). The method used was essentially identical with that applied in the case of O. parasita, with the sole difference in considering the entire area of the country as an undivided unit. The first section of the graph, until the summer interval, was based on 132 data, the second half on 117 items. Accordingly, the flight of the imagos begins at the end of April (the earliest datum being 26 April), and a steeper increase commences only around the tenth of May. Culmination occurs around 14—28 May, then the curve takes a rather steep downward dive. No observation has been made between 19 June and 11 July. The second section of the curve starts in the middle of July (12 July being the earliest date), its culmination falling between 28 July and 6 August, followed by a gradual, downward trend (last observation on 25 September). The two repeated culminations at identical heights as well as the interruption for 23 days of the flight completely substantiates the assumption that maculosa produces two entire broods per year within our borders. Though the flying period of the second generation lasts for 25 days longer than that of the first one, it would seem hasty to conclude on the appearance of a partial third generation. It should be taken into consideration that, during the flight of the first brood, temperature is constantly on the rise, hastening the hatching and flying of the imagos, whereas it is continually decreasing during the flight of the second generation, eventually causing an ever increasing delay. It should be emphasized that the second generation can be encountered in the entire territory of the country, as well in the colder northern parts as in the more clement and uniform climate of the Transdanubia, or in the southern border of the Great Plain with its extremely hot summer. Hungarian forms. Following DANIEL, who has already discussed and studied the Central European forms of maculosa (6), I have tried to group the populations in Hungary by having recourse to the features applied by the above author. These are: size, antennae, the shape, basic colour, and spots of the wings. With regard to size, our home specimens might differ according both to generations or localities, indeed, fluctuations are rather considerable even within the same population. In the first generation, the alar expanse may attain 31 mm over the entire country, and in several localities even 34 mm, while only exceptionally in the second brood, there falling usually below these values. The antenna is relatively short, its ciliation long, its colour rather dark; either a deep or rufous brown. In our available foreign material, the antennae of the Polish or Durmitor (Yugoslavia) specimens resemble it. Those of the South France exemplars,, however, are of a completely different character, they are narrower, their ciliation slightly shorter, apically more attenuate, their colour rufous red. As for the size of wings, the Hungarian specimens are rather uniform. The fore wing is more or less wide, apically not pointed, the tornus only slightly more basad than the apex. The Polish and Durmitor specimens stand nearer to this form, while those from South France have a more pointed apex, and the tornus is closer to the; base.