Vig Károly: Zoological Research in Western Hungary. A history (Szombathely, 2003)
142 Phylum Arthropode! In the first summarizing study by ÁKOS UHERKOVICH (1980a), he reported the occurrence of 915 macrolepidopterous species at 40 localities in the Vas and Zala County parts of the West Hungarian border region. The 5000 or so records of these provided a basis for a zoogeographical-cum-ecological evaluation. The data allowed the spread of certain species to be followed, and a connection clarified between the spread of birch (Betula spp.), alder (Alnus spp.) and conifer-specialist species to climatic conditions (UHERKOVICH 1978a, 1978b, 1980b, 1983, 1984a and 1984b). Continuing his faunistic charting of the Őrség, UHERKOVICH (1987) processed the macrolepidopteran data for Szőce, confirming the occurrence of 547 species there. Research into the Lepidoptera of the southern part of the West Hungarian border region continued in 1979-81 with personal collections at certain localities (Szőce, Magyarszombatfa and Velemér) and full processing of the material from the forecasting light traps placed by the Forestry Scientific Institute. The three traps attracted over 30,000 macrolepidopterous specimens, of 331 species at Nagyrákos, 311 species at Sárvár (Lánka-puszta) and 296 species at Ivánc. This provided useful additional faunistic and quantitative information about the Macrolepidoptera of the West Hungarian border region (UHERKOVICH and HERCZIG 1992). LAJOS KOVÁCS identified the macrolepidopteran material from the Forestry Scientific Institute light trap at Szakonyfalu, while the moths in the Ivánc, Nagyrákos, Kercaszomor, Nádasd and Őriszentpéter light traps were processed by JÓZSEF Szőcs. The other material besides the taxa dealt with by those two authors was identified by staff of the Forestry Light-Trap Warning Service of the institute's Forestry Protection Department. In addition, quite large quantities of Lepidoptera from the Őrség can be found in the private collections of LAJOS PODLUSSÁNY 60 and ISTVÁN JANÁKI. LÁSZLÓ BALÁSHÁZY collected regularly round Szakonyfalu before 1990. Several communications have appeared about the rare butterflies native to the Carpathian Basin that also occur in the Őrség (BÁLINT 1991; FAZEKAS 1992a). 61 Apart from that, of course, there is information in the requisite chapter of the Red Book (VARGA et al. 1990). In 1980, the Natural History Department of the Savaria Museum began to operate a light trap in the Chernél Garden at Kőszeg. This caught seven macrolepidopterous species new to the Kőszeg Hills in 1980-82 and five more in 1983 (EKK 1985). ISTVÁN EKK researched the butterfly fauna of Ság Hill, demonstrating the occurrence of 47 species (EKK 1981 and 1983). IMRE FAZEKAS made important contributions to knowledge of the moth and butterfly fauna of the West Hungarian border region. His collection first showed the occurrence at Sopron (Görbehalom, June 18, 1978) of the blue 60 LAJOS PODLUSSÁNY collected throughout the West Hungarian border region. Much of his collection is now in the Savaria Museum in Szombathely, whose butterfly collection he also founded. 61 Also pertinent is KUDRNA, O. 1986. Grundlagen zu einem Artenschutzprogramm für die Tagschmetterlingsfauna in Bayern und Analyse der Schutzproblematik in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo Suppl. 6:1-90.
