Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 43 (1998)( Pécs, 1999)

Természettudományok - Nagy, Antal: Data on the Orthoptera fauna of the Villány Hills, South Hungary

46 A JANUS PANNONIUS MÚZEUM ÉVKÖNYVE 43 (1998) strong submediterranean faunistic effects on this region. These effects can be observed eg. on Mollusca (SÓLYMOS 1996), Noctuidae (VARGA, GYULAI 1978) and higher plants (DÉNES 1994). The submediterranean effects are indicated by the high number of Mediterranean (Ponto-, Holo-, Extra-, Nord-, Europian-Mediterranean and Balcanian) faunal elements eg. Rhacocleis germanica, Pachytracyh gracilis, Leptophyes albovittata, Oecanthus pellucens, Pezotettix giornae etc. (Table 1, Fig. 2). Rhacocleis germanica, Oecanthus pellucens and Pezotettix giornae can be found in all of the hills (Table 2a, 2b). Two protected species of the Hills, the Balcanian Isophya modesta and the Ponto-Caspian Saga pedo also indicate the Southern effects. The Siberian spreading centre is represented by the high number of Angarian faunal elements. Besides this two major groups there are Ponto-Caspian and other (Siberian- and EuropeanPolycentric and Polycentric) faunal groups (Table 1, Fig. 2). The distribution of the faunal elements are different in the various habitats. The Mediterranean elements prefer steppe grasslands and shrubs, in these habitats the ratio is above the average (32% in 1997 and 48% in 1998) (Fig. 2). The Angarian faunal elements (Siberian spreading centre) as the Calliptamus italicus, Stenobothrus lineatus and Glyptobothrus brunneus like rocky grasslands better than steppes and shrubs because of their ecological needs, in these habitats their ratio is above the average (Fig. 2). It is interesting that the Ponto-Caspian faunal elements prefer the habitats of Szársomlyó. The differences between the distribution of faunal elements of the two years may be explained by climatic changes. The distribution of life forms shows close similarity with the distribution of Ensifera ratio because most of the Ensifera species are thamnobionts. Both of the above mentioned ratios depend on microclimate and vegetation structure of the habitat. As the microclimate and vegetation structure interact with each other (SÓLYMOS, NAGY 1997), the effects can not be divided. In the steppe grasslands (area 1, 5) and shrubs mixed with grasslands (area 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 13) the ratio of thamnobionts and chorthobionts and the Ensifera ratio were higher than in rocky grasslands (area 6, 8, 12) (Fig. 3, 4). The shrubs mixed with grasslands are good for both Ensiferas and Caeliferas, therefore these habitats have the highest number of species (area 10, 13). The Orthoptera fauna of the Hills can be characterised by thamnobiont and chorthobiont dominance (Fig. 3). As the sampling were made at different times of the years the temporal constance of species shows that how many times the species were present in the area. The constance depends on the species and the changes of the habitat. In steppes and shrubs mixed with grasslands the number of constant species is higher because the climate of these plant associations is more balanced (Table 3). Platycleis grisea and Rhacocleis germanica are constant in all of the habitats, therefore this two can be considered as common species. The constance of Ensiferas (eg. Leptohyes albovittata, Tettigonia viridissima, Bicolorana bicolor etc.) is high in the more closed habitats and the Caeliferas (eg. Calliptamus italicus, Oedipoda coerulescens, Stenobothrus lineatus etc.) prefer rocky grasslands (Table 3). Fig. 3. Distribution of life forms in the 2 years. The ratio is given in percentage (quantitative samples in 1997) and percentage of presence (qualitative samples in 1998).