Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 28 (1983) (Pécs, 1984)

Természettudományok - Uherkovich, Ákos: Lepidoptera on birch and alder in South and West Transdanubia, Hungary

LEPIDOPTERA ON BIRCH AND ALDER IN SOUTH AND WEST TRANSDANUBIA, HUNGARY ÁKOS UHERKOVICH Ab s tract. 21 species of Hungarian larger moths (Macroheterocera) live on birch or alder or on both. Their grouping and distribution on the examined area is described and presented (text, maps). The annual mean precipitation, relative humididy of air and forests and distribution of larger moths living on birch and alder are highly correlated. Some of these species are in expansion in Hungary. In 1978 a brief paper was published on the Hungarian larger moths living on birch (Uherkovich 1978a), dealing with the distribution of two species of birch trees of Hungary and author enumerated the birch-eating Macrolepidoptera as well as gave data of their phenology, ecology and zoogeography. During the period since the publishing of the above paper, the examination of Lepidoptera fauna of South and West Transdanubia progressed considerably. Some important zoogeographical questions were analyzed in another paper (Uherkovich 1978b), and the larger moth communities of some forest types were elaborated (Uherkovich 1978c, 1980a, 1980b). Further papers contain distribution data from Mecsek Mountains (Balogh 1978, Fazekas 1979), the Zselic Downs (Uherkovich 1981a, 1981b, 1982a, 1983a), the Zala Hills (Uherkovich 1982b) and the western border of Hungary (Uherkovich 1980c). After closing of MS of the paper dealing with birch-eating species (Uherkovich 1978a), the number of distribution data has doubled or multiplied. During the past б years another groups of nourishment forms were elaborated in this area, therefore — and because of the connection between the alderand birch-eating-species - it is important to rewrite the species living on birch, and those living on alder. The distribution oi ioodplants: the birches and the aiders Two species of birches occur in Hungary. The ordinary birch (Betula pendula Roth.) is common in the western part of the country, mostly on hilly regions. It forms large stands on the forest clearings and it can increase everywhere in the foFig. 1. Lepidopterological data from the South and West Transdanubia, on the UTM grid map. a: light traps, regular lampings with several data, ,b: lampings and lighttrappings occasionally with few data, c: single data. 1. ábra. Lepkészeti adatok a Dél- és Nyugat-Dunántúlról, UTM hálótérképen ábrázolva, a: fénycsapdák és rendszeres lámpázások számos adattal, b. alkalmi lámpázások és fémycsapdak, kevés adattál, c: egyes adatok. rests cultivated inefficiently. Its quantity is 0.3 percent of domestic forests (Csapody et al. 1966). It does not form associations but consociations only in numerous — mostly non-basic soile - types of forests. Characteristic forests are the oak-birchstands („Betulo-Quercetum") and the juniper-birchstands („Betulo-Juniperetum") : these both are declined conditions of Austrian oak stands (Quercetum petraeae-cerris) (Soó 1970). There are very large juniper-birch-stands in Belső-Somogy nearby Darány (Uherkovich 1978d) and many stands of oakbirch in a lot of forests on the examined area. The role of birch was always unimportant during the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene. It is more frequent in North and West Europe, but it turns into mountaineous elemnt towards the south of Hungary. The pubescent birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) is closely localised and rare in Hungary. We know its occurence in the western and northern part of the country and on certain marsh-lands of the Great Hungarian Plain. It is the dominant species of A Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve (1983) 28: 39-49. Pécs (Hungária), 1984.