Somogyi Múzeumok Közleményei 13. (1998)

Ábrahám Levente: Tanulmány a hazai vízi életmódú recésszárnyú faunáról (Neuroptera: Osmylidae, Sisyridae)

A study on the Hungarian freshwater osmylid and sponge-flies fauna (Neuroptera: Osmylidae, Sisyridae) ABRAHAM LEVENTE ÁBRAHÁM, L.: A study on the Hungarian freshwater osmylid and sponge-flies fauna (Neuroptera: Osmylidae, Sisyridae). Abstract: There are four species in the Hungarian freshwater Neuroptera fauna according to the redeterminated collections found in six Hungarian museums: Osmylus fulvicephalus, Sisyra fuscata, Sisyra terminális, Sisyra jutlandica. The author gives the collecting data, the distribution maps and both the seasonal activity graphs and flight activity patterns of these species. Short evaluations on these species from faunistical, and chorological points of view are also given. Key words: Neuroptera, Osmylidae, Sisyridae, distribution, seasonal activity, day and night activity. Introduction Neuroptera species living presently in the world are known to belong to 17 families (NEW 1989). Most of them are considered to be found in terrestrial habitat, only five of Neuroptera families (Rapismatidae, Osmylidae, Neurothidae, Sisyridae, Polystoechotidae) have aquatic larvae or larvae living only near water. Larvae in family Rapismatidae, Osmylidae and Polystoechotidae are considered to be semiaquatic but Neurothidae and Sisyridae species are truly aquatic. Now only Osmylidae, Neurothidae and Sisyridae species live in Europe. Osmylidae have about 160 described species distributed all over the world, expect for North America. Both species occur in Europe, Osmylus fulvicephalus (Scopoli, 1763) in Hungary, as well, and Osmylus elegantissimus Kazanchikov, 1951 in the Crimean peninsula and the Caucasian region. Although species belonging to this genus live near water in damp moss and debris, other species' larvae, being carnivores, are definitely terrestrial. Neurothidae species (10 sp) are mentioned in Palaeartic region and in Australia (NEW 1989). The only three species, which have not occurred in Hungary yet, live in the Mediterranean region in Europe. Its larvae are truly aquatic spreading in running streams and rivers. Sisyridae, a small family, is represented by about 50 species all over the world (MONSERRAT 1977), but only five species can be found in Europe (ASPÖCKHÖLZEL 1994). Their larvae are found to be preying on sponges and bryozoans in deep water lakes and slowly-moving streams and rivers, but in the prepupal and pupal stage within their cocoon, they lie in terrestrial habitats. This study summarises the knowledge on the Hungarian freshwater Neuroptera fauna based on the collection of their data from the literature and different collections of Hungarian museums. Besides, the seasonal activity of freshwater neuropteroids species in Hungary, the flight activity patterns of these species were studied. It gives an important information on their collection possibilities. Materials and methods The determined collections found in Bakony Natural History Museum (Zirc), Janus Pannonius Museum Natural History Department (Pécs), Hungarian Natural History Museum (HNHM Budapest), Mátra Natural History Museum (Gyöngyös), Somogy County Museum Natural History Department (Kaposvár) and the Újhelyi's collection (Budapest) later deposited in HNHM, were revised. All the other available data from the databases cited in the Hungarian literature were made use of. Besides, several data come from the author's collecting trips. Freshwater osmylid and sisyrids were collected by netting and beating techniques along the vegetation of watersides and verges. Several specimens were caught during periods of rest on under bridges, or buildings lying close to the water. Light trapping is a very useful collecting method and, so is collecting them by light personally. Summarising the collection data can give a possibility for studying the seasonal activity of imagines. Adults are mainly considered to be flying at night, because Malaise traps and suction traps operating by day can catch only few specimens. Adults in the above mentioned collections, collected personally, were presumably caught by sweeping. A very simple experiment was carried out to determine the activity patterns of these species. Living specimens were netted and transported into a lab, then they were placed individually in 300-ml glass containers covered with paper wadding. Experiments started in two hours after keeping these insects in glass containers. At least 10 specimens were used in each experiment. Paper wadding were watered moderately every three hours and temperature was 25 C° ± 1 C°, as DUELLI (1986) pointed out that 100 % of these specimens are active above 20 C°. Natural daylight was used in long-day condition but direct sunshine was avoided. All experiment conditions were kept standard except natural light changes. Activity of these speci-