Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/2. (2011)
Zoology
Petru Vasile ISTRATE cycle. For many species from the Central Europe, a detailed research has led to the analyses of numerous new populations, including our country. An important contribution in studying the Coleoptera on the Romanian territory have been done: Bielz (1850, 1852, 1853, 1887), Siedlitz (1891), Petri (1912), Csiki (1895), Worel (1951) — concerning the Cerambycidae group in Transylvania. Researchers like Hormuzachi (1902, 1904), Montandon (1906), Ieni?tea (1932), Panin (1941), Sävulescu (1969, 1972), Serafim (1985, 1997, 1998, etc...), Ruicänescu (1992, 1997) have collected a rich material in Romania, establishing extensive fauna lists, which include the Cerambycidae species, too. Recently, works concerning longhorn beetles have been published by Togänel (2004), Istrate (2005), Serafim (2010), Dascälu (2007). The biological material concerning the Cerambycidae group species is found in the collections of the Natural History Museum in Sibiu, the Agronomy Faculty in Timisoara, the Forestry Institute in Bra?ov, the “Grigore Antipa” National Natural History Museum in Bucharest [9,10], the Museum of Natural Science in Tärgu-Mure? [11], as well as in other small museums: Media?, Aiud, Odorheiu Secuiesc, and few private collections. The Cerambycidae fauna in Romania is relatively well known due to these collections and to the fauna lists that have been published [6,7]. Although relatively old, “Coleoptera - Cerambycidae” in the Fauna of the People’s Republic of Romania, 10-5 by Panin&Sävulescu (1961) [5] is still the most complex study published in Romania so far. Materials and Methods The activity of collecting Coleoptera insects from Cerambycidae family has been performed sporadically extended over a period of time more than a decade beginning in 1998, and the purpose of this work is to bring forward a collection of new data connected to the spread of the phytophagous coleoptera from this family in the low land areas from the western and central part of the Tárnává basin. The phytophagous Cerambycidae were collected manually from different part of host herbs, after the identification and inspection, such as Matricaria sp., Artemisia sp., Anchusa barrelieri, Cirsium sp., Echium sp. etc. An entomological net was used when mowing the grass in the steppe areas, or the blooming herbs in the meadows or on the edge of the forests. The steppe Cerambycidae species, such as the ones in the Dorcadion and Neodorcadion genera, were collected from the glades and meadows, from the edge of the forests, or from the local country roads — in spring and also in early summer. Many some of the Cerambycidae species were collected. The best results were obtained in the case of the diurnal Cerambycidae species after 10 o’clock in rhe morning as the sun raises higher. All the species are thermophilic and mesophilic and get warmed up in the sun in the daytime. Notes were regularly took regarding the local floral merocenoses, which are that groups of animals which visit the same flower, more Coleoptera species were collected and the samples were preserved in ethyl ether or alcohol. The Coleoptera species profusely covered with hairs and the ones that presented a certain elytra (tegument) pattern were carefully collected and kept alive. The material collected was pinned and kept in cases belonging to the author’s collection or to the Natural Science Museum in Tärgu Mure?, which took over a part of this material (2001). The determination of the Cerambycidae was done using the determination keys established by BenseU. (1995) [1] and the Atlas of the Cerambycidae of Europe and the Mediterranean Area, Vol. 1, Sanaa G. (2002) [8]. 56
