Ábrahám Levente: Válogatott tanulmányok II. - Natura Somogyiensis 9. (Kaposvár, 2006)

Uherkovich Ákos - Nógrádi Sára: Caddisflies (Trichoptera) of the Mecsek Mountains, South Hungary - A Mecsek hegység tegzesei (Trichoptera)

Natura Somogyiensis 9 289-304 Kaposvár, 2006 Caddisflies (Trichoptera) of the Mecsek Mountains, South Hungary ÁKOS UHERKOVICH & SÁRA NÓGRÁDI H-7633 Pécs, Építők útja 3/b. I. 6., Hungary, e-mail: uhu@ipisun.pte.hu UHERKOVICH, Á., & NÓGRÁDI, S.: Caddisflies (Trichoptera) of the Mecsek Mountains, South Hungary. Abstract. The Mecsek Mountains, with a maximum of 680 m high elevations, are surrounded by low rolling countryside and lowlands. In this area 98 caddisfly species were found. An endemic taxon, Chaetopteryx rugulosa mecsekensis Nógrádi was also found here. Populations of some species have survived far from their continuous distribution area. The only Hungarian population of Plectrocnemia minima Klap. lives here, the population actually being endangered. The occurrence of this species shows zoogeographical connections with the Balkans, while the presence of two other species here (Synagapetus krawanyi Ulmer and Rhyacophila hirticornis McL.) represents their southeastemmost occurrence within their range in the Alpin area. Further eleven species have isolated occurrences as they do not live in the surrounding lowlands and low rolling countryside. Keywords: Fauna, endemism, zoogeography, endangerment. Introduction The Mecsek Mountains is a low, isolated mountainous range of South Hungary spreading over 350 square kilometres. Its maximum elevation does not surpass 700 metres, as two highest tops are on 682 and 612 metres, respectively. It is surrounded by plains of the south, and low rolling regions in other directions, these latters do not reach two-, three hundred metres above see level. The mountains formed very various geologically, they consist of mostly Jurassic and Cretaceous stones: limestone, volcanic stones in small spots, and slate. The most ancient parts developed in the Permian age: in this parts in the Western Mecsek Mountains there are red or grey sandstones. The surface was in develop since the mesozoic. The water network of limestone surface is not dense, elsewhere moderate dense. The water output of springs and streams is very low, many of them dried out in long, dry periods owing to the relative low annual precipitation (600...650 mm). For example: the summer of year 2003 was rather poor in rain, besides the temperature and evaporation was extremely high, thus more than half of springs dried out, many larger streams also had a dry bed. Contrary the year 2005 was rich in rain, sometimes the extreme high water output caused difficulties and change in the bed of streams, many larvae deteriorated. The most part of the water network of the mountains belongs to that of Duna (Danube), and these streams run to the north mostly. Only a few, small streams run to the south and belong to the Dráva water network.