driemaandelijks tijdschrift van de ^ VLAAMSE VERENIGING VOOR ENTOMOLOGIE Afgiftekantoor 2170 Merksem 1 ISSN 077 1 -5277 Periode: juli - augustus - september 20 1 1 Erkenningsnr. P209674 Redactie: Dr. J.-P. Borie (Compiègne, France), Dr. L. De Bruyn (Antwerpen), T. C. Garrevoet (Antwerpen), B. Goater (Chandlers Ford, England), Dr. K. Maes (Tervuren), Dr. K. Martens (Brussel), H. van Oorschot (Amsterdam), W. O. De Prins (Feefdaal). Redactie-adres: W. O. De Prins, Dorpstraat 401 B, B-3061 Feefdaal (Belgium). e-mail: willy.deprins@gmail.com. Uitgegeven met de steun van de provincie Antwerpen. Jaargang 39, nummer 3 1 september 20 1 1 Lepteucosma huebneriana, nieuw voor de B fauna (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Wim Veraghtert & Wil ly De Prins Summary. Lepteucosma huebneriana (Fepidoptera: Tortricidae) Belgian fauna During a moth survey in the Molenbeek valley, Veltem-Beisem (province of Vlaams-Brabant, Flanders) on July 14th, 2010 5 individuals of the attractive Lepteucosma huebneriana were captured in a Skinner trap. This constitutes the fïrst record for Belgium. The characteristics, ecology and distribution of the species (in Europe) are discussed. Résumé. Lepteucosma huebneriana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), une espèce nouvelle pour la faune beige Le 14 juillet 2010, pendant une excursion dans la vallée de la Molenbeek a Veltem-Beisem (province du Brabant Flamand), 5 exemplaires de la tordeuse Lepteucosma huebneriana ftirent capturés dans un piège Skinner. II s'agit de la première mention de cette espèce pour la Belgique. Les caractères extérieurs, 1'écologie et la distribution en Europe de cette espèce sont discutés. Key words: Lepteucosma huebneriana - Faunistics - First record - Belgium. Veraghtert, W.: Bist 66, B-2500 Lier. wim.veraghtert@gmail.com. De Prins, W.: Dorpstraat 40 1B, B-3061 Leefdaal. willy.deprins@gmail.com. Inleiding In 2010-201 1 voert Natuurpunt Studie in opdracht van de provincie Vlaams- Brabant een inventarisatie van vijf slecht onderzochte valleigebieden uit, om kennishiaten m.b.t. provinciaal prioritaire soorten op te vullen. In het kader hiervan vond op 14 juli 2010 een nachtvlinderinventarisatie plaats in de Molenbeekvallei te Kortenberg/Veltem-Beisem. Met 7 Skinnervallen met HPL- lampen 125W die de hele nacht opereerden werd op één nacht een zo groot mogelijke oppervlakte van dit natuurgebied steekproefsgewijs bemonsterd. Dit leverde zeldzame soorten van vochtige biotopen op, zoals Archanara neurica Phegea 39 (3) (0 1 .IX.20 1 1 ): 8 1 (Witkraagrietboorder) en Brachylominia viminalis (Katwilguiltje), beide Noctuidae. In totaal werden tijdens die warme nacht 265 soorten nachtvlinders genoteerd. Eén van de vallen stond opgesteld in een op het eerste zicht weinig interessant biotoop: een opstand van Canada-populier (Populus x canadensis), met ondergroei van bramen ( Rubus ) en Grote brandnetel ( Urtica dioica ), en heel wat Hazelaar ( Corylus avellana) aan de rand van het perceel. Het was in deze val dat vijf exemplaren van een opvallend gekleurde bladroller werden aangetroffen, die de waarnemers niet meteen herkenden. Al bij het witte licht van de HPL-lamp vielen ’s nachts de oranje beharing op kop en borststuk op, het grijsblauwe basale gedeelte van de voorvleugel en een oranje apex. ’s Ochtends werden enkele exemplaren, helaas al wat meer afgevlogen, gefotografeerd en werd ook één exemplaar verzameld. Een zoektocht op enkele van de betere websites over microlepidoptera leverde al snel de naam Epinotia huebneriana Ko£ak, 1980 op. Razowski (2003) vermeldt deze soort als Lepteucosma huebneriana (Ko^ak, 1980). De beschrijving in dit laatste werk doet het schitterende vlindertje oneer aan: de zo opvallende blauwe tot blauwgrijze kleur wordt omschreven als ‘blackish grey’, in tegenspraak met de afbeelding met hetzelfde werk. Naamgeving & Systematiek Het genus Lepteucosma omvat momenteel wereldwijd 18 soorten, waarvan het merendeel in Azië voorkomt. Op basis van verschillen in genitaalstructuur wordt het genus Lepteucosma onderscheiden van Epinotia (andere vorm van de valva) en Eucosma (minder ontwikkelde uncus). Aanvankelijk werd de soort beschreven als Tortrix ustulana door Hübner in 1813, maar dit is een recenter primair homoniem van Tortrix ustulana Haworth, 1811, een soort die nu wordt ondergebracht in het genus Endothenia. In 1980 werd de soort door A. Ö. Ko^ak hemoemd tot Epinotia huebneriana , en nadien door Razowski ondergebracht in het genus Lepteucosma. Het is de enige soort uit dit genus die in Europa voorkomt. Als Nederlandse naam wordt Oranjeblauwe bladroller voorgesteld. Biologie Over de ecologie van deze soort is weinig geweten. In Razowski (loc. cit.) worden een korte beschrijving van de rups gegeven. De waardplanten van deze soort treffen we vooral aan in de familie van de Rosaceae, met name diverse braamsoorten: Gewone braam {Rubus fruticosus ), R. crataegifolius en R. sachalinensis. Daarnaast wordt ook de in Europa niet-inheemse Chinese boksdoom ( Lycium chinense (Solanaceae)) als waardplant genoemd (Kuznetzov 2001, Liu & Li 2002). Wellicht is de soort in Vlaanderen aan bramen gebonden. De soort vliegt normaal in één generatie van juni tot september; in het zuiden van het verspreidingsgebied komen ook twee generaties voor (eind mei -juni en juli-begin september). Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 82 Fig. 1-2. Lepteucosma huebneriana, Veltem-Beissem (BR), 14.vii.20 10, photo W. Veraghtert. Verspreiding De soort heeft een groot, Palaearctisch verspreidingsgebied dat loopt van West-Europa tot Noord -Afrika in zuidelijke richting en tot Oost-Rusland, China en Korea in oostelijke richting. In Europa werd L. huebneriana reeds vastgesteld in Frankrijk, Duitsland, Hongarije, Italië, Letland, Liechtenstein, Litouwen, Oostenrijk, Roemenië, Rusland, Slowakije, Slovenië, Tsjechië en Zwitserland (Aarvik 2011). Het opduiken van deze soort in België is vanuit dit opzicht niet bijzonder verrassend, al blijft het bizar dat een populatie van de soort precies in de Molenbeekvallei wordt aangetroffen en (nog) nergens anders in België of Nederland. Uit de zeer schaarse (verspreidings-)informatie die over deze soort in de literatuur en op het internet kan worden gevonden, mag worden aangenomen dat L. huebneriana in West-Europa een weinig voorkomende soort is. Dankwoord Met dank aan het Provinciebestuur Vlaams-Brabant, zonder wie deze inventarisatie niet had plaatsgevonden, en collega Griet Nijs voor de assistentie bij deze inventarisatie. Literatuur Aarvik, L. E. 2011. Fauna Europaea: Tortricidae. - In: Karsholt, O. & van Nieukerken, E. J. (eds.) Fauna Europaea, Lepidoptera: Moths. Fauna Europea version 2.4. — www.faunaeur.org. [bezocht 10 maart 2011]. Kuznetzov, V. A. 2001. Tortricoidea. - In: Ler, P. A. (Ed.) Key to the insects of Russian Far East. Vol. V Trichoptera and Lepidoptera. Pt. 3. — Vladivostok DaFnauka, 621 pp. Liu, Y. Q. & Li, G. W. 2002. Fauna Sinica, Insecta, Vol. 27, Lepidoptera, Tortricidae. — Chinese Science Press, Beijing, 463 pp. Razowski, J. 2003. Tortricidae of Europe. Volume 2. Olethreutinae . — Frantisek Slamka, Bratislava. 17 platen, 301 pp. Zhang, A. H., Li, H. H. 2005. Catalogue of Eucosmini of China (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). — SHILAP, Revista de Lepidopterologia 33(131): 265-298. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 83 Nanophyes brevis (Coleoptera: Nanophyidae) new for Flanders Bart Bosmans Samenvatting. Een geïsoleerde vondst van Nanophyes brevis Boheman, 1 845 (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea, Nanophyidae) aan de oevers van het Albertkanaal bij Bilzen. Nieuwe soort voor Vlaanderen en de provincie Limburg. Résumé. Découverte d’une population isolée de Nanophyes brevis Boheman, 1845 (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea, Nanophyidae) au bord du Canal Albert, prés de Bilzen. Espèce nouvelle pour la Flandre et la province de Limbourg. Keywords: Nanophyidae - Nanophyes brevis - Belgium - Flanders - Limburg - Bilzen. Bosmans, B.: Roerstraat 75, B-3600 Genk (bart@insects.be). An isolated find of Nanophyes brevis Boheman, 1845 (Nanophyidae, Nanophyinae, Nanophyini) was made in Bilzen on the steep banks of the Albert Canal near the hamlet of Driebunders (FS8140, 29.iv.2010). At this location the banks of the canal are sun exposed and consist predominantly of dry soil. Near drainage systems moist patches are present. Vegetation is limited to a mixture of grasses, heather, tall shrubland (Rosa, Cytisus , Crataegus, Salix) with young tree growth (Malus, Sorbus, Betula, Quercus, Pinus). The specimen was collected with a beating tray in an open field near a drainage in the vicinity of Lythrum. Repeated visits at the location did not result in extra finds. In the Belgian (Flemish) province of Limburg the family Nanophyidae is represented by Microon sahlbergi (Sahlberg, 1835) and Nanophyes marmoratus (Goeze, 1777). M. sahlbergi is known from two locations. M. Delbol collected the species near Hasselt (Stokrooie, 2003) on Elatine hexandra (Delbol 2003). The author collected a specimen from a sieving sample of a dry fishery pond near Genk (Bokrijk, 26.i.2011). N marmoratus, however, is widely distributed and can be considered as the most common Nanophyes. Nanophyes brevis is new for Flanders (Delbol 2010). This species occurs locally in Belgium. The first written record of N brevis (Farciennes, viii.2007) was published by Lempereur (2008). Further finds were reported from Labuissière (M. Delbol, vi.2008) and Han-sur- Lesse (J.Y. Baugnée, x.2006). Acknowledgements Gratitude to M. Delbol from Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Unité d'Entomologie fonctionnelle et évolutive, for identifying the Bilzen specimen as N. brevis . References Delbol, M. 2003. Découverte en Belgique de Nanophyes sahlbergi (Sahlberg, 1834) (Coleoptera : Curculionidae). — Notes fauniques de Gembloux 50: 113. Delbol, M. 2010. Catalogue des Curculionoidea de Belgique. — www.curculionidae.be. Lempereur, J. M. 2008. Nanophyes brevis Boheman, 1845: première capture pour la faune beige (Col. Curculionidae.). — Lambillionea 108(2): 154. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 84 Macrolepidoptera from the steppes of Dobrogea (south-eastern Romania) Levente Székely, Vlad Dinca & Istvan Juhasz Abstract. Based on material collected during 2007-2009, we report 225 species of macrolepidoptera fforn the steppes of Dobrogea (south-eastern Romania). Besides numerous rare species with particular ecological preferences, we report Tarachidia candefacta (Hübner, [1831]) (Noctuidae) and Rhodostrophia discopunctata Amsel, 1935 (Geometridae) for the fïrst time in the Romanian entomofauna. Several taxa of high zoogeographical significance for the Romanian and European fauna are commented. The conservation status and interest of the steppe areas from Dobrogea is brought into discussion. Samenvatting. Macrolepidoptera van de Dobrogea steppen (Zuidoost-Roemenië) Gebaseerd op materiaal verzameld tussen 2007 tot 2009, melden we 225 soorten Macrolepidoptera uit de steppen van Dobrogea (Zuidoost-Roemenië). Naast talrijke zeldzame soorten met specifieke ecologische voorkeuren, rapporteren we voor het eerst het voorkomen van Tarachidia candefacta (Hübner, [1831]) (Noctuidae) en Rhodostrophia discopunctata Amsel, 1935 (Geometridae) in de Roemeense entomologische fauna. Verscheidene taxa met belangrijke zoögeografïsche betekenis voor de Roemeense en Europese fauna worden besproken. De behoudsstatus en betekenis van de steppegebieden in Dobrogea wordt ter discussie gebracht. Résumé. Macrolépidoptères des steppes de Dobrogea (Sud-Est de la Roumanie) Sur base du matériel recueilli entre 2007 et 2009, nous mentionnons 225 espèces de macrolépidoptères des steppes de la Dobroudja (Sud-Est de la Roumanie). En plus de nombreuses espèces rares avec des préférences écologiques particulières, nous rapportons pour la première fois la présence de Tarachidia candefacta (Hübner, [1831]) (Noctuidae) et de Rhodostrophia discopunctata Amsel, 1935 (Geometridae) dans 1’entomofaune roumaine. Un commentaire est fait concemant plusieurs taxons d’une grande importance zoogéographique pour la faune roumaine et européenne. L’état de conservation et Tintérêt des zones steppiques de la Dobroudja sont discutés. Key words: Romania - Dobrogea - Macrolepidoptera - distribution - faunistics - First record - steppes - conservation Székely, L.: Str. Viitorului 31 B/9, Sacele (Brasov), 505600, Romania (levi . szekely@gmai 1 . com) Dinca, V.: Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF), Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta 37- 49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain & Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autönoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain (sudistu@yahoo.com) Juhasz, I.: Széchenyi utca 30 , Szödliget, 2133, Hungary. Introduction Even since the collecting of Mann in 1865 (Mann 1866) Dobrogea has always represented a major attraction for Romanian lepidopterists. Although Dobrogea is a fairly well studied Romanian province from a lepidopterological point of view (more than 1 000 species of Macrolepidoptera have been reported), recent research in the area continues to provide faunistic novelties. The geographic position of Dobrogea (south-eastern Romania, bordered to the east by the Black Sea) (Fig. 1) and its eco-climatic conditions make it a suitable place for many Lepidoptera typical for the steppes from eastem Ukraine and Southern Russia, but also for Balkan or Asia Minor species. Several taxa reach in Dobrogea their western or northem distribution limit in Europe. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 85 The foundation of the Romanian Lepidopterological Society in 1990 considerably accelerated the entomological research in Romania and, as a consequence, during the last 20 years dozens of new species for the country have been reported. A more careful look reveals that a high proportion of these species have been reported exactly from Dobrogea. Moreover, before the falling of the Romanian communist regime in 1989, due to limited investigation possibilities, most of the noctumal collecting was restricted to areas where electricity was available (e.g. Hagieni, Canaraua Fetei). Most of these sites belong to the sylvo- steppe areas from Dobrogea (Popescu-Gorj & Draghia 1967, Rakosy & Székely 1996). Subsequently, due to the availability of portable electricity generators and automatic light traps, the collecting has become more effective and independent of fixed electricity sources. Increased collecting performance combined with the exploration of new areas caused a considerable increase of data on the Lepidoptera of Dobrogea. As an example, during the last two years only, many new or doubtful species for the fauna of this region have been reported or confirmed (Dinca & Vila 2008, Dinca et al. 2009), while several others proved to be new for the Romanian fauna (Székely & Dinca 2008, 2009). Fig. 1 Map of Dobrogea indicating the investigated localities during 2007-2009. The lower right corner indicates the position of Dobrogea within Romania’s territory. Locality numbers correspond to those in table 1 . Phegea 39 (3) (01TX.201 1): 86 Table 1 . Localities in Dobrogea investigated for this study (numbers correspond to the localities in figure 1). Number Locality Alt. (m) County Lat. N Long. E 1 Mahmudia - Murighiol 1 Tulcea 45° 03’ 29° 07' 2 Plopu - Sarinasuf 1 Tulcea 45° 00' 29° 04' 3 Histria 1 Constanta 44° 32' 28° 45' 4 Grindul Chituc 1 Constanta 44° 27' 28° 47' 5 Navodari 1 Constanta 44° 20' 28° 36' Since 2007, together with József Palotai and Gabor Racz (Hungary) we started to investigate the Lepidoptera fauna from the northem part of Dobrogea. With the exception of the Macin Mountains where thorough research has been done (Rakosy & Wieser 2000), the northem part of Dobrogea has received little attention. The recent discovery, in typical steppe and salty steppe habitats, of some new species for the Romanian entomo fauna, some of high zoogeographical importance for the European fauna (Székely & Dinca 2009), encouraged our further research the results of which are presented in this study. Methods Collecting We focused our research on the areas surrounding the Razelm and Sinoe lakes (Fig. 1, Table 1), which represent the largest complex of lakes in Romania (more than 100 thousand hectares). This complex was formed through the closure of the ancient gulf Halmyris and it is now separated from the Black Sea only by a narrow sand stripe. The area has been very little studied from a lepidopterological point of view. Prior to our research, occasional collecting in the area was done by L. Rakosy, S. & Z. Kovacs, M. Skolka, D. Rusti, M. Stanescu, H. Neumann and T. Hacz. Most of our collecting was focused on steppe and salty steppe areas in the surroundings of Histria (Constanta county, south of Sinoe Lake) and Plopu and Sarinasuf villages (Tulcea county, north of Razelm Lake) (Fig. 1). Roughly 400 hectares in the southem and eastem surroundings of Histria consist of steppes and salty steppes, sandy areas, but also marshes and reed plots (Fig. 2). The area represents the south-westem limit of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Conceming the villages Plopu and Sarinasuf, the collecting was focused on the Artemisia steppes lying between the two localities. Areas from Grindul Chituc and Navodari were also investigated mostly because of the specific habitats within their wild sandy beaches (Fig. 3). The diumal collecting was done with the insect net, while the noctumal species were captured by using a 125W mercury vapor bulb placed in front of a white sheet and powered by a portable gasoline electricity generator. In addition, Phegea 39 (3) (0 1 .DC.20 1 1 ): 87 three to seven portable light traps with 8W white and black light tubes were used during each collecting event. The data presented in this study was obtained based on 12 collecting expeditions, to some of which G. Szabó, R. Görbe and S. Stanciu also took part: 22-28.viii.2007 (Székely & Juhasz), 26-27.V.2008 (Juhasz), 23-24.vii.2008 (Juhasz), 23-27.viii.2008 (Székely & Juhasz), 17-19.X.2008 (Székely, Szabó & Görbe), 19-20.V.2009 (Juhasz), 31.v.-l.vi.2009 (Juhasz), 1 9-23. vi. 2009 (Székely & Görbe), 19-22.vii.2009 (Székely, Stanciu & Görbe), 5-6.viii.2009 (Juhasz), 26-30.viii.2009 (Székely), 24-27.ix.2009 (Székely & Szabó), 23- 26.X.2009 (Székely & Görbe). Genitalia examination Genitalia were examined for species that cannot be reliably identified based exclusively on wing morphology. The genitalia were processed as follows: maceration in 10% potassium hydroxide, cleaning and examination under a stereomicroscope and storage in tubes with glycerine. Digital photos of the genitalia were obtained through a camera attached to the stereomicroscope and measurements (if necessary) were performed with the software AxioVision. Results and discussion The collected material consists of 225 species of macrolepidoptera (Appendix 1, online at www.phegea.org\phegea\appendices\Phegea39-3_page-88.pdf; see Plate 1 for images of several species), out of which two are new for the Romanian fauna and several others are poorly known at national or European level. Below we briefly discuss the taxa that we consider to be of special faunistical and/or biogeographical significance for the Romanian or European fauna. Malacosoma castrensis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lasiocampidae) (Plate 1-13) Material. 2cJ, Plopu-Sarinasuf, 26.V.2008; 2$, 1$, Histria, 22.vi.2009. All the recent records of this species from Romania come from Dobrogea (Rakosy et al. 2003). Although recorded even from the north-westem part of the country (Transylvania) more than 100 years ago, its presence in Romania has been confirmed only in 1993, based on material collected in Southern Dobrogea (Székely 1994, Rakosy & Székely 1996, Dinca 2005). Here we provide the first records of this species from the northem part of Dobrogea. Due to lack of records, the species has been considered as data deficiënt in Romania (Rakosy et al. 2003). The populations from Dobrogea are considered to belong to subspecies shardaghi Daniël, Forster & Osthelder, 1951, characteristic for the Balkan Peninsula (Rakosy & Székely 1996). Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 88 Fig. 2- Salty steppe area at Histria, 24.X.2009 (photo L. Székely). Fig. 3 - Wild sandy beach at Grindul Chituc, 22.vii.2009 (photo L. Székely) Fig. 4a.- Rhodostrophia discopunctata, Canaraua Fetei (Constanta county, southem Dobrogea), 13. vi.1997; 4b.- R. discopunctata , Canaraua Fetei (Constanta county, southem Dobrogea), 14. vi.1998; 4c.- R. discopunctata, Histria (Constanta county), 22.vi.2009; 4d.- Rhodostrophia calabra, Babadag forest (Tulcea county, northem Dobrogea), 4.vi.2008. Fig. 6a.- Tarachidia candefacta, Histria (Constanta county), 25.viii.2008; 6b.- Male genitalia (phallus removed) of T. candefacta, Histria (Constanta county), 20.vii.2009. Genit. prep. 1234/Dinca. Fig. 7a.- Cleoceris scoriacea, Histria (Constanta county), 24.ix.2009; 7b.- C. scoriacea, Canaraua Fetei (Constanta county, southem Dobrogea), 25-29. ix.2004. Scale bar is 1 0 mm for all specimens in the plate. Phegea 39 (3) (01.DC201 1): 89 Lasiocampa eversmanni (Eversmann, 1843) (Lasiocampidae) (Plate 1-2) Material. >60 specimens, Histria, 23— 30.viii. 2008-2009. This taxon has been first recorded in the Romanian fauna as a form of Lasiocampa trifolii ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) (Popescu-Gorj & Draghia 1967, Popescu-Gorj 1985). More recently it has been reported as distinct species (Székely 2000) and has been included in the checklist of Romanian Lepidoptera (Rakosy et al. 2003) based on records coming exclusively from the Danube Delta. At Histria we noticed that the individuals with habitus resembling that of L. eversmanni were flying together with a high number of specimens corresponding in appearance to L. trifolii. Due to overlaps of intraspecific variability, discriminating between the two species is often difficult based on the morphology of the adult. However, they can be reliably separated during larval stage (Zolotuhin pers. comm. to V. Dinca 2009). As such data is lacking for Romania, we do not exclude that the lighter coloured specimens (resembling L. eversmanni) may actually represent forms of L. trifolii. As a matter of fact, several specimens collected in the Danube Delta and suspected to be L. eversmanni have been established to actually represent forms of L. trifolii (Zolotuhin pers. comm. to V. Dinca 2009). Under these circumstances, the status of L. eversmanni in Romania needs further research based on additional data such as the morphology of the larval stage. Lemonia balcanica (Herrich-Schaffer, 1 847) (Lemoniidae) (Plate 1 -5) Material. 2 S, Histria, 27.ix.2009. It is a localized species in Romania where it is known only from the south- westem (southern Banat) and south-eastem (Dobrogea) parts. Dobrogea (especially the south of the province) hosts relatively large populations of this species that actually reaches its northernmost European distribution limit in the Danube Delta area. It was listed as critically endangered in Romania by Rakosy et al. (2003). Hyles hippophaes (Esper, 1793) (Sphingidae) Material. >20 specimens, Histria, Plopu-Sarinasuf, Mahmudia-Murighiol, v- vii. 2007-2009. The species was described by Esper from the actual territory of Romania (LT : Wallachen, Milkowfluss bei Focsani) (Fletcher & Nye 1982), but was for a long time considered as doubtful member of the Romanian entomofauna (Popescu- Gorj 1987). After having been recaptured in the Danube Delta (Székely & Szabó 1995), it seems to have rapidly spread in all Dobrogea, as well as northem Bulgaria (Beshkov 1998). It has also been recently collected in northem Muntenia (Ungureanu 2010). The subspecies caucasica (Denso, 1913), considered to occur in Romania too (Rakosy et al. 2003), has recently been synonymized with the subspecies bienerti (Staudinger, 1874) which is distributed east of the Anatolian plateau (Pittaway 2010). Therefore, all the populations occurring west of the Black Sea belong to the nominotypical subspecies. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 90 Euchloe ausonia (Hübner, [1804]) (Pieridae) Material. Common, Mahmudia-Murighiol, 27-30. iv.2009 (leg. H. Neumann). This species is known in Romania only from Dobrogea, especially from its Southern parts (Rakosy et al. 2003, Dinca et al. 2009). It was recently recaptured in northem Dobrogea after 54 years of missing data (Dinca et al. 2009). The records from Mahmudia-Murighiol represent the third known locality in northem Dobrogea and suggest that the butterfly may actually be more widespread in this province than previously thought. Listed as endangered by Rakosy (2003), but proposed as vulnerable by Dinca et al. (2009) given the increasing number of records from Dobrogea. Cupido ( Everes ) alcetas (Hoffmannsegg, 1804) (Lycaenidae) (Plate 1-21) Material. 3(5 . Plopu-Sarinasuf, 29.viii.2009 (1(5), Nifon, 2.viii.2007 (1(5), Smardan, 3.viii.2007 (1(5). It is a poorly known species in Romania with few records scattered across the country’ s territory. In Dobrogea it has been recorded only once from the southem part of the province (Skolka 1994). Our data confirm the presence of C. alcetas in Dobrogea and represent the first citation from the northem part of the province. Besides Plopu-Sarinasuf, we found two more male specimens in northem Dobrogea: Nifon (Macin Mountains, 2.viii.2007, 45°10'53nN, 28°21T2"E) and Smardan (Tulcea county, 3.viii.2007, 45°16'02"N, 28°01'56"E) (leg. V. Dinca & S. Cuvelier). The butterfly seems to be associated to rather ruderal and temporary habitats such as abandoned agricultural fields (e.g. Nifon), disturbed river side forests (e.g. Plopu-Sarinasuf), or ditches (e.g. Smardan). Although it does not seem to be abundant, it may also have passed unnoticed because such species-poor areas are usually paid little attention by lepidopterists. Narraga tessularia (Metzner, 1845) (Geometridae) (Plate 1-27) Material. very common (>150 specimens/night), Plopu-Sarinasuf, v- viii. 2008-2009; common (>15 specimens/night), Histria, v-viii.2008-2009. More abundant in viii at both sites. It is a specialist of salty steppes with Artemisia maritima (its larval food plant). Local populations are present in Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine. The Romanian populations belong to subspecies kasyi Moucha & Povolny, 1957 (Rakosy & Schneider 1985). It is very local in Romania and always associated to salty steppes. Charissa {Kern trogn oph os ) onustaria (Herrich-Schaffer, 1852) (Geometridae) (Plate 1-25) Material. 1(5, Histria, 26.viii.2008. A xerothermophilous species distributed from Southern Europe across the Balkans, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Jordan, Egypt, Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. It is very poorly known in Romania, with confirmed records only from the Macin Mountains in northem-westem Dobrogea (Rakosy & Wieser 2000, Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 91 Rakosy et al. 2003). The record from Histria therefore represents the second confirmed locality in Romania. Chariaspilates formosaria (Eversmann, 1837) (Geometridae) (Plate 1-30, 31) Material. 13 specimens, Murighiol, 23.viii.2007. Species with transpalaearctic distribution associated to humid biotopes such as marshes and flooded areas. In Romania it is known only from the extreme north-west and the south-east of the country (Rakosy et al. 2003). Although the species is considered to be univoltine (June-July) (Koch 1976, Vojnits 1980, Forster & Wohlfahrt 1981) the populations from Dobrogea and the Danube Delta are bivoltine: June - mid July and end of August - mid September. The two broods display pronounced differences in the size of the adults: wingspan of 35- 40 mm for the first brood and 22-26 mm for the second one (Székely 2006). Megaspilates mundataria (Stoll, 1782) (Geometridae) (Plate 1 -28) Material. 4$, Histria, 22.vi.2009 (2c?); 20.vii.2009 (2c?). It is another specialist of salty steppes, distributed from eastem Europe across large parts of the Palaearctic and reaching the Russian far east, Korea and Japan. Dobrogea currently represents the western limit of distribution of this species. lts presence in Romania was confirmed only in 1995, based on two females were collected on the eastem shore of the Razelm Lake (Rusti & Stanescu 1995). It was also recently collected from Histria by M. Skolka (Rakosy et al. 2003). Given the current data, it is clear that the species is well distributed in the surroundings of the Razelm-Sinoe lake complex. However, its presence in other parts of Dobrogea (Danube Delta) is also possible. Microloxia herbaria (Hübner, [1813]) (Geometridae) (Plate 1-26) Material. very common (30-50 specimens/night), Plopu-Sarinasuf, 19.vii- 20.viii; relatively common (5-10 specimens/night), Histria, 19.vii-20.viii. Distributed from Southern Europe across the Balkans, Asia Minor, Middle East, Iran, Afghanistan, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. It is a steppe specialist localized in Romania where it is known only from Dobrogea (Rakosy et al. 2003). Rhodostrophia discopunctata Amsel, 1935 (Geometridae) Material. 3c?, 7$. Canaraua Fetei, 27.vi.1993 (lc?), 13.vi.1997 (2c?, 2?), 14. vi. 1998 (1?); Hagieni (Constanta county, southem Dobrogea), 23.vi.1979 (1?), 7.viii. 1 980 (1$), l.vii.1982 (1$); Histria, 22.vi.2009 (1?). Hausmann (2004) raised R. discopunctata to species rank by separating it from Rhodostrophia tabidaria (Zeiler, 1847). As R. tabidaria is known in Europe only from the eastemmost Greek islands, it tums out that all previous records of R. tabidaria from the Balkans have to be considered as belonging to R. discopunctata (Hausmann 2004). The latest catalogue of Romanian Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 92 Lepidoptera listed R. tabidaria as occurring in Dobrogea, Oltenia and Banat (Rakosy et al. 2003). The more recently published addenda and corrigenda to the catalogue did not comment on the status of R. tabidaria and R. discopunctata in Romania (Rakosy & Goia 2007). Rhodostrophia discopunctata can be readily distinguished from the relatively similar R. calabra (Petagna, 1787) by the presence of well developed discal spots on all wings (Fig. 4a-c). By contrast, in R. calabra these spots are usually absent on all wings (in very few cases they may appear on the forewings, but less developed than in R. discopunctata ) (Fig. 4d). Moreover, the two taxa can be reliably identified through the examination of the male genitalia where the most notable differences are: the uncus dilatation is about half of the total length of the uncus in R. discopunctata and less than half in R. calabra (Fig. 5d, e); the valva ends with a rounded spinose terminal process in R. discopunctata , and a truncate one in R. calabra (Fig. 5a-c); the ventral digitiform processes are longer in R. discopunctata compared to R. calabra (Hausmann 2004) (Fig. 5a-c). Fig. 5a - Terminal part of the valva (lateral view) of Rhodostrophia discopunctata , Canaraua Fetei (Constanta county, Southern Dobrogea), 1 3.vi. 1 997, genit. prep. 1297/Dinca; 5b.- Idem, 27.vi.1993, genit. prep. 1298/Dinca; 5c.- Terminal part of the valva (lateral view) of Rhodostrophia calabra , Babadag forest (Tulcea county, northem Dobrogea), 4.vi.2008, genit. prep. 770/Dinca; 5d.- Uncus of the male genitalia of R. discopunctata , Canaraua Fetei (Constanta county, southem Dobrogea), 27.vi.1993, genit. prep. 1298/Dinca; 5e.- Uncus of the male genitalia of R. calabra , Babadag forest (Tulcea county, northem Dobrogea), 4.vi.2008, genit. prep. 770/Dinca. Scale bar is 0.5 mm for all images. Phegea 39 (3) (01JX.2011): 93 Based on material collected in various parts of Dobrogea, we report the presence of R. discopunctata in Romania. Given that this species is known in Europe only from the Balkans (Hausmann 2004), the records from Histria (northem Dobrogea) represent the northem distribution limit of this species on the continent. Given the general distribution of R. tabidaria (Hausmann 2004), all previous records of this taxon from Romania should be considered as referring to R. discopunctata. A revision of museums and private collection material of Rhodostrophia collected in Romania is necessary in order to obtain a more complete image on the distribution of R. discopunctata in the country. Eupithecia variostrigata Alphéraky, 1876 (Geometridae) (Plate 1-24) Material. 5 specimens, Plopu-Sarinasuf, 25-28. viii. 2008. Distributed in Southern and eastem Europe, Asia Minor, Crimea, the Caucasus and Central Asia (Mironov 2003). In Romania it is known only from Dobrogea and the Danube Delta (Rakosy et al. 2003), but can be found in relatively large numbers is salty steppe areas with Artemisia scoparia which possibly represents its larval foodplant (Székely 2006). Our collecting dates indicate that the species starts flying in Dobrogea slightly earlier compared to the generally reported phenology (early September to late October) (Mironov 2003). Eupithecia extensaria (Freyer, 1845) (Geometridae) Material. 4 specimens, Histria, 22. vi. 2009, 25-28. ix.2009. It is a transpalaearctic species with poorly known distribution in Romania where it has confirmed records only from Dobrogea (Rakosy et al. 2003). It is confmed to steppes and sandy areas with Artemisia , its larval foodplant (Mironov 2003). The species has been considered to be univoltine (mid May to late June) (Mironov 2003). However, our collecting dates suggest that in Dobrogea the species might actually have two broods. Eupithecia biornata Christoph, 1 867 (Geometridae) (Plate 1 -29) Material. very common, Histria, 19.vii-30.viii; rare, Plopu-Sarinasuf, 19.vii- 30.viii. Distributed in the eastem Balkans, Southern Ukraine, Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Asia Minor, southem Siberia, and Mongolia (Mironov 2003). In Romania it is rare and localized, being known only from Dobrogea and the Danube Delta (Rakosy et al. 2003), where it is associated to steppes and sandy areas (Székely 2006). The populations from northern Greece, north-eastem Bulgaria and Romanian Dobrogea mark the species’ westemmost range in Europe. Drasteria caucasica (Kolenati, 1 846) (Erebidae) (Plate 1 -8) Material. 2c?, 1 $, Histria, 19. vi. 2009 (2c?), 20.vii.2009 (1 $). It is a western Asian species reaching its western distribution limit in the eastem Balkans. Drasteria caucasica is a xerothermophilous species characteristic for semi-desert and sandy biotopes. In Romania it is very local and known mainly Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 94 from the Danube Delta, but also from Dobrogea, Southern Moldavia (Rakosy 1996) and northem Muntenia (Ungureanu 2010). It can be locally abundant in the Danube Delta where it is much more frequent than Drasteria cailino (Lefebvre 1827). Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esper, [1789]) (Noctuidae) (Plate 1-22) Material. >20 specimens, Histria and Plopu-Sarinasuf, vii-x.2008-2009. Subtropical migratory species widely distributed across Eurasia, Africa, Oceania and Australia. It was accidentally introduced in many areas as a consequence of agricultural practices and it may become a pest of several cultivated plants (e.g. tomato, tobacco, pepper, cotton, etc.). In Europe it is resident only in the Southern parts. Recorded for the first time in Romania two decades ago (Rakosy & Neumann 1990), the species seems to have become more and more common during the last years. Although it is currently known in Romania only from Dobrogea and Muntenia (Rakosy & Neumann 1990, Székely & Stanciu 2002, Dinca 2006), it is likely to be found in other regions of the country, especially in the south and the east. Cornutiplusia circumflexa (Linnaeus, 1767) (Noctuidae) (Plate 1-19) Material. 1$, Histria, 30.viii.2009. It is a subtropical migratory species with sporadic occurrence in Southern Europe. In Romania it is a very rare migrant which has more recently been recorded only from the Danube Delta (Rakosy 1 996). The specimen from Histria represents the second record in the country for a period of at least 30 years (Rakosy et al. 2003). Tarachidia candefacta (Hübner, [1831]) (Noctuidae) Material. 4 specimens, Histria, 25.viii.2008 (lc?), 20.vii.2009 (1$); Babadag forest, 19.vii.2009 (lc?); Manolache (surroundings of Bucharest, Ilfov county), ll.v.2010 (1 spec., leg. Cristian Mihai). It is a species of Nearctic origin described from Pennsylvania (USA). It is widely distributed in North America, ranging from Southern Canada to Mexico, but is more abundant in Southern areas. Tarachidia candefacta represents a good biological control measure of the common ragweed (. Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., Asteraceae) because its larvae feed on the leaves of various Ambrosia species and its life cycle is dynamic involving two annual broods from May to September (Covell 1984). Ambrosia artemisiifolia , originating from North America, has been accidentally introduced to Europe around 1865 (Sanz Elorza et al. 2004) and it has since then rapidly spread across the old continent. It is a very competitive invasive species linked to human-disturbed habitats that often establishes populations in cultivated areas (e.g. arable fields) causing significant losses to agriculture. Moreover, because its pollen has a high allergenic potential (Rybncek & Jager 2001), this plant is considered a serious health problem not only in North America, but also in Europe where it has colonized up to 90% of the territory of some countries (Bohren 2006) and where important eradication campaigns have been developed. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 95 Platei. 1— Rhyparioides metelkana; 2- Lasiocampa eversmanni/trifolii ; 3 - Cucullia argentina; 4.- Cucullia biornata; 5.- Lemonia balcanica. 6- Chelis maculosa ; 7 - Leucania loreyi ; 8- Drasteria caucasica\ 9 - Cardepia hartige, 10.- Gortyna cervago ; 11 — Mythimna unipuncta ; 12.- Mycteroplus puniceago ; 13.- Malacosoma castrensis ; 14- Saragossa porosa ; 15 — Leucania zeae\ 16 - Episema lederi ; 17 - Episema tersa; 18 - Hadula stigmosa; 19 - Cornutiplusia circumflexa\ 20.- Saragossa siccanorum ; 21- Cupido alcetas (ventral); 22.- Chrysodeixis chalcites; 23- Ulochlaena hirta; 24.- Eupithecia variostrigata; 25.- Charissa onustaria; 26.- Microloxia herbaria ; 27.- Narraga tessularia kasyi ; 28.- Megaspilates mundataria; 29 - Eupithecia biornata ; 30.- Chariaspilates formosaria (II brood); 31- Chariaspilates formosaria (I brood). 32 - Dyscia innocentaria. Scale bar is 10 mm. P/zegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 96 T. candefacta has been intentionally introduced in Southern Russia (the Krasnodar region) in the years 60 of the 20th century as a biological control measure against the invasive A. artemisiifolia (Schurov 1998, Poltavsky & Artokhin 2006, Poltavsky et al. 2008). Several stable populations of T. candefacta survived in the Krasnodar region for about 30 years, but the species did not apparently expand during this time (Schurov 1998). However, between 1999-2002 it was collected in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine (Kljuchko et al. 2004) and almost simultaneously it has been found in the northem part of the Rostov-on-Don region (Poltavsky et al. 2005). From there, the species continued its expansion both towards the east and the west. To the east, it currently reached the Kabardino-Balkar Republic in the north Caucasus (Poltavsky 2007), while to the west it has recently been recorded from Zaporozhye and Cherson (both sites in south-eastem Ukraine) (Lehmann 2005). The species is therefore rapidly expanding to the west through the steppes north of the Black Sea. The possible occurrence of T. candefacta in Romania and its continuous expansion towards the west has been anticipated recently (Hacker et al 2008). The three males collected by us in northem Dobrogea and the specimen from Manolache (surroundings of Bucharest, 44°23'46"N, 26°14'30"E) represent the first records of T. candefacta from Romania and confirm its expansion to the west. T. candefacta can be reliably identified based both on wing morphology (Fig. 6a), male genitalia (Fig. 6b) and female genitalia (Lehmann 2005). Considering the Romanian fauna, T. candefacta is superficially similar to Acontia lucida (Hufnagel, 1766), A. titania (Esper, 1798) and A. melanura (Tauscher, 1809), but can be readily distinguished due to its smaller size (19-23 mm wingspan) and different wing pattem, one of the most obvious being the lack of a well defined black submarginai band on the hindwings. It is very likely that the species is already or will become more widespread in the south of Romania (southem Moldavia, Muntenia, Oltenia). This makes sense given the fact that T. candefacta has already been collected in Bulgaria on the southem banks of the Danube next to the Romanian border (appreciatively south of the Romanian town Corabia) (S. Beshkov, pers. comm. to L. Székely 2009). This site is about 140 km more to the west compared to our westemmost record from Manolache. After entering Romania and Bulgaria, the species seems to continue its western expansion roughly following the Danube. However, the recent capture of a female at Balgarevo (Kaliakra, Bulgaria) (3.viii.2009, leg. I. Juhasz) suggests that T. candefacta is also spreading towards the south by following the Black Sea coast. It is possible that, within few years, the species will reach central Europe. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 97 Cucullia argentina (Fabricius, 1787) (Noctuidae) (Plate 1-3) Material. 3c?, Plopu-Sarinasuf, 24-27. viii. 2008. Cucullia argentina has been recently reported from Romania, based on material collected at Plopu-Sarinasuf (Székely & Dinca 2009). It is a xerophilous species typical to steppes with Artemisia, its larval food plant. The population from northem Dobrogea currently represents the south-westem range limit for this taxon in Europe. Moreover, only two records in Europe come from more to the west compared to Dobrogea. Both are from Slovakia, but the most recent is 29 years old (Ronkay & Ronkay 2006, Székely & Dinca 2009). Cucullia biornata Fischer v. Waldheim, 1840 (Noctuidae) (Plate 1-4) Material. >10 specimens, Plopu-Sarinasuf, 23-29.viii. 2007-2009. It is a very rare and local species in Romania, where it was listed as endangered (Rakosy et al. 2003). Only three individuals have been recorded in Romania up to present: Eforie Sud (Black Sea coast) (Popescu-Gorj 1964), Maliuc (Danube Delta) (Rakosy 1996) and Periprava (Danube Delta) (H. Neumann pers. comm. to L. Székely). Judging by the number of collected specimens, the steppe areas with Artemisia from Plopu-Sarinasuf seem to be the optimal habitat for this species in Romania. The populations from eastern Bulgaria and south-eastern Romania (Dobrogea) mark the western distribution limit of this species in Europe (Ronkay & Ronkay 1994). Episema lederi Christoph, 1885 (Noctuidae) (Plate 1-16) Material. 2c?, Histria, 23.X.2009. Having a Ponto-Turkestanian distribution, E. lederi is very local in Europe where it is known only from Greece, Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria and Romania (Ronkay et al. 2001). In Romania it is known only from Dobrogea (Rakosy 1996). Listed as endangered in the Romanian fauna by Rakosy et al. (2003). Cleoceris scoriacea (Esper, [1789]) (Noctuidae) Material. very common (>50 specimens/night), Histria, 24-27. ix.2009. The abundance of C. scoriacea in the steppes of northern Dobrogea came as a surprise because the species has never been reported from this province and from such habitats (Rakosy et al. 2003). A more careful examination of the collected material revealed that all specimens are smaller and tend to have lighter wing colours compared to typical C. scoriacea from other parts of Romania (Fig. 7a, b). Through these features, the specimens from northem Dobrogea resemble the subspecies subcanentis Hacker, 1990 described from the Erzurum province (Turkey) (Hacker 1990) and distributed in Turkey, Armenia (Ronkay et al. 2001) and the south of Russia (H. Hacker pers. comm. to L. Székely 2009). However, Ronkay et al. (2001) noticed that some specimens from the Balkan and central European populations are almost inseparable from those in Anatolia and suggested that the two subspecies may be better regarded as a cline within the Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 98 species’ range. As a matter of fact, when describing the subspecies subcanentis, Hacker (1990) also mentioned that some of the Turkish populations in the Pontus Mountains strongly resemble the nominate subspecies. Besides differences in size and wing colour, Hacker (1990) also showed that the male genitalia of specimens from the Near East has more slender valvae than the European ones. The specimens from northern Dobrogea however, do not display a clear trend towards having slender valvae and the slight differences encountered in the same population seem to reflect intraspecific variability (Fig. 8a, b). It is worth mentioning that we also examined material of C. scoriacea from Southern Dobrogea (Fig. 7b). These specimens closely resemble the nominate subspecies in terms of size and wing colour. As Dobrogea as a whole contains no important geographic barrier, it is reasonable to accept that the specimens from northern Dobrogea represent ecological forms adapted to extreme biotopes such as the salty steppes. The current data are in our opinion in favour of the clinal theory and, given the lack of a clear morphological and geographical separation between the two taxa, it seems more prudent to consider the specimens from northern Dobrogea as belonging to the nominate subspecies. Fig. 8a.- Lefït valva of the male genitalia of Fig. 8b - Left valva of the male genitalia of Cleoceris scoriacea , Histria (Constanta Cleoceris scoriacea, Histria (Constanta county, county, Romania), 24.ix.2009. Genit. prep. Romania), 27.ix.2009. Genit. prep. 1288/Dinca. 1287/Dinca. Ulochlaena hirta Hübner, [1813] (Noctuidae) (Plate 1-23) Material. very common, Histria, 17-25.X.2008-2009; rare, Plopu-Sarinasuf, 17-25.X.2008-2009. This is a Holo-Mediterranean-Turkestanian species which is rather local and rare in the European Mediterraean (Ronkay et al. 2001). In Romania it is well Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 99 represented in Dobrogea where it can locally be very abundant, with up to 100 specimens/night being attracted to artificial light. Interestingly, despite its local abundance, no female has yet been collected in northem Dobrogea. Hadula ( Calocestra ) stigmosa (Christoph, 1887) (Noctuidae) (Plate 1-18) Material. very common, Histria, 19.vi-30.viii; very common, Plopu- Sarinasuf, 19.vi-30.viii. This halophilous steppe species has been considered as rare in the Romanian fauna where it was sporadically found in the east (Moldavia) and south-east (Dobrogea and the Danube Delta) (Rakosy 1996). Listed as endangered in Romania by Rakosy et al. (2003). Judging by the high number of observed specimens, the steppes from Histria and Plopu-Sarinasuf seem to represent the optimal habitat for this species in Romania. Cardepia hartigi (Parenzan, 1981) (Noctuidae) (Plate 1-9) Material. common, Histria, 19.vi-22.vii. Cardepia hartigi is known in Europe only from Southern Italy, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Cyprus, and Ukraine. It was reported in Romania based on two specimens collected in the Danube Delta and erroneously published as Discestra ( Cardepia ) sociabilis irrisoria (Erschov, 1874) (Rakosy 1996). Following the revision by Hacker (1998), the two specimens proved to belong to C. hartigi and were subsequently treated accordingly (Rakosy 2000a, Rakosy et al. 2003). It is a halophilous species, characteristic for the salty steppes near lakes or sea shores. According to Rakosy et al. (2003) in Romania flies the subspecies additamenda Hacker, 1998. The species is often sympatric with the similar H. stigmosa and Cardepia sociabilis (Graslin, 1850) (Hacker et al. 2002). Morphology alone is usually enough to separate C. hartigi from the other two species, but the male genitalia also offers reliable characters for identification (Fig. 9). Fig. 9- Male genitalia of Cardepia hartigi , Histria (Constanta county, Romania), 20.vii.2009. Genit. prep. 1237/Dinca. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 100 Saragossa siccanorum (Staudinger, 1870) (Noctuidae) (Plate 1-20) Material. 2c?, Plopu-Sarinasuf, 24.viii.2008. It is a Turano-Eremic species that reaches in Dobrogea its westemmost distribution limit in Europe. Saragossa siccanorum is very rare in Romania, being previously known only based on two specimens collected in two localities in Southern Dobrogea (Popescu-Gorj & Draghia 1967, Rakosy 1996). We provide data for the third known locality in Romania and the first citations for northem Dobrogea. Saragossa porosa (Eversmann, 1854) (Noctuidae) (Plate 1-14) Material. common, Plopu-Sarinasuf, 19.v-l.vi and 6-30. viii. Saragossa porosa is a halobiont xerothermophilous species characteristic of steppe areas with Artemisia. It is very local in Romania where it has populations in the west and south-east of the country. Recently recorded from Dobrogea by Székely & Dinca (2009). It has been suggested that a reconsideration of the status of the subspecies kenderesiensis Kovacs, 1968 (considered to fly in western Romania) may be necessary given the new data from Dobrogea that considerably diminished the range disjunction between this subspecies and the nominate one (Székely & Dinca 2009). Leucania zeae (Duponchel, 1827) (Noctuidae) (Plate 1-15) Material. 3 specimens, Histria, 26-30.viii.2009. This is a xerothermophilous species whose European distribution follows the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts (Hacker et al. 2002). In Romania it was discovered only in 1991 based on only two specimens: Varna Veche (south- eastem Dobrogea) (Rakosy 1996, Rakosy & Székely 1996) and Suatu (Cluj county, Transylvania) (Rakosy 2000b). Listed as endangered in the Romanian fauna by Rakosy et al. (2003). We provide the first records from northem Dobrogea and the third known locality in the country. Leucania ( Acantholeucania ) loreyi (Duponchel, 1827) (Noctuidae) (Plate 1- 7) Material. 2c?, 1$. Plopu-Sarinasuf, 24-25. viii. 2007 (2c?); Histria, 26.viii.2007 (1 $). It is a palaeotropical migrant species that can be found regularly in the Mediterranean Basin and occasionally much further to the north (Hacker et al. 2002). The species has very few records from Romania, most from Southern Dobrogea and the Danube Delta (Rakosy 1996), but also from Transylvania (Rakosy et al. 2003). Gortyna cervago Eversmann, 1844 (Noctuidae) (Plate 1-10) Material. 5 specimens, Plopu-Sarinasuf, Histria, 24-29. viii.2008-2009. It is a rare species distributed from the Balkans to Asia Minor, Ukraine, Armenia, Turkmenistan and Southern Russia. Associated to warm steppe areas, it Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 101 is very little known in Romania where it has been found in a handful of localities in Southern Moldavia and Southern Dobrogea (Rakosy 1996). We provide the first records from northem Dobrogea. It was listed as critically endangered in Romania by Rakosy et al. (2003). Rhyparioides metelkana (Lederer, 1861) (Arctiidae) (Plate 1-1) Material. common, Murighiol, vii.1997, vii. 2005-2006. This species is emblematic for the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve where the largest populations in Europe survive. It is a typical inhabitant of marshy areas and has much regressed due to habitat loss. In Romania it is present in the south-west (Banat), in Southern Dobrogea (Hagieni) and the Danube Delta where it can sometimes be very abundant (e.g. on 20.vii.1987 more than 500 specimens were attracted to artificial light during one night). Listed as endangered in Romania by Rakosy et al. (2003). Conservation of the steppe areas from northern Dobrogea The areas that were investigated (excepting Navodari), although not actually lying within the delta itself, are part of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Therefore, at least in theory, the main management and conservation measures of the Danube Delta apply to these areas too. The salty steppe biotopes are not suitable for agriculture or intensive grazing and they are relatively safe from these types of human intervention. Moreover, after the fall of the communist regime in 1989, the irrigation systems in Dobrogea have been largely destroyed and many agricultural fields were abandoned. These areas are becoming secondary steppes and may considerably increase the amount of suitable habitats for many species adapted to this type of habitat. Other types of anthropic pressure in such areas are for the moment rather superficial as the region is little populated and touristic activities are concentrated on the Black Sea coast. The Artemisia fields from Plopu-Sarinasuf are however smaller in size compared to the large steppe areas around Histria and, besides being lightly grazed, are prone to land buming (especially during autumn) or garbage pollution. Very recently it has also been observed that the lake in the vicinity of the steppes from Plopu-Sarinasuf has been partially drained. If this situation persists, the local salty steppe habitats could be affected. However, the wild beach areas next to the Black Sea are in our opinion more vulnerable than the salty steppes surrounding the large lakes in northem Dobrogea. Such areas are becoming rarer and rarer as they are transformed for touristic purposes. Given the particular flora and fauna hosted by such sites, their safeguarding should become one of the conservation priorities in Dobrogea. The value of the steppe areas of Dobrogea is also supported by the presence of several taxa protected by law in Romania or Europe (Table 2). Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 102 Table 2. Taxa protected by law at European or national level that were identified in the area investigated during this study Taxon Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC Romania (national level) Hyles hippophaes X Proserpinus proserpina X Euchloe ausonia X Cupido alcetas X Lemonia balcanica X Cucullia biornata X Rhyparioides metelkana X By investigating several steppe areas from northem Dobrogea, we recorded 225 species of macrolepidoptera. While not as rich in species as other types of habitats, these steppes host particular Lepidoptera assemblages of high zoogeographical significance. Tarachidia candefacta and R. discopunctata are recorded for the first time in the Romanian fauna and several other species are reported for the third-fourth time in the country. Moreover, the presence in these areas of many extremely localized species that were before considered as very rare in the Romanian and even European fauna underlines the faunistical importance of the Dobrogea steppes. The area is characterized by interferences of both the Balkanic and south Ukrainian and Russian steppes, which is reflected in the presence of many Lepidoptera taxa that reach here their westemmost distribution limit in Europe. It is worth noting that several areas similar to the ones investigated by us can still be found in Dobrogea, especially in the surroundings of the large lakes or on the Black Sea coast. Therefore, several sites are still waiting to be studied and may provide valuable data that would allow for a better knowledge and conservation of Dobrogea’s particular entomo fauna. Acknowledgements We are very grateful to H. Hacker (Germany), L. Ronkay and G. Ronkay (Hungary) for confirming the identification of some problematic taxa. We thank S. Beshkov (Bulgaria) for the information regarding the presence of T. candefacta in Bulgaria. We are grateful to Cristian Mihai (Romania) for the material of T. candefacta from the surroundings of Bucharest. We also thank V. Zolotuhin (Russia) for information regarding L. eversmanni and H. Neumann (Romania) for information on some taxa commented in this paper. Special thanks to S. Cuvelier (Belgium) for translating the abstract into French and Dutch. Support for this research was provided by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación project (CGL2007-605 16/BOS), and a predoctoral fellowship from Universitat Autönoma de Barcelona to V. Dinca. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 103 References Beshkov, S. 1998. Hyles hippophaes new for Bulgaria and Euxoa cos crimaea new for the Balkan Peninsula (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae, Noctuidae). — Phegea 26(1): 9-11. Bohren, C. 2006. 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Cucullia argentina (Fabricius, 1787) and Saragossa porosa porosa (Eversmann, 1854) from the steppes of Dobrogea, Romania (Noctuidae). — Nota Lepidopterologica 32(2): 99-1 10. Székely, L. & Stanciu, M. S. 2002. Contribupi la studiul faunei de lepidoptere din Campia Munteniei II. — Bul. inf. Soc. lepid. rom. 12 (1^1)/2001: 259-269. Ungureanu, V. 2010. The Lepidoptera (Insecta: Lepidoptera) of the Buzau County, Romania. — lepidopterabuzau.blogspot.com/p/material-and-methods.html. Vojnits, A. 1980. Araszolólepkék 1 - Geometridae 1. — Fauna Hungariae 137, vol 16, Budapest, 157p. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 106 The distribution and status of the rare Rhingia borealis and Rhingia rostrata in Belgium (Diptera: Syrphidae) Van de Meutter Frank Abstract. In this paper we provide an overview of all currently known records of Rhingia borealis and R. rostrata in Belgium. Inspection of collection material showed that R. borealis since long belongs to the Belgian fauna, but was confiised with R. rostrata. Recent observations indicate that it still occurs with some prosperous populations in the extreme east of Belgium. Re-inspection of R. rostrata collection material revealed 1 0 historical Belgian records, the latest dating back to 1945. In 2009, R. rostrata was again observed in Belgium at three localities in the Hautes Fagnes possibly indicating a revival of this species. Samenvatting. De verspreiding en status van de zeldzame Rhingia borealis en Rhingia rostrata in België (Diptera: Syrphidae) In dit artikel wordt een overzicht gegeven van alle tot nu toe bekende gegevens van Rhingia borealis en R. rostrata in België. Onderzoek van collectiemateriaal toonde aan dat R. borealis van oudsher tot de Belgische fauna behoort, maar verward werd met R. rostrata. Recente waarnemingen duiden op bloeiende populaties in het uiterste oosten van België. Heronderzoek van R. rostrata in collecties leverde 10 historische Belgische waarnemingen op, de laatste daterend uit 1945. In 2009 werd R. rostrata opnieuw in België waargenomen, en wel in drie lokaliteiten in de Hoge Venen wat mogelijk duidt op een heropleving van deze soort. Résumé. Distribution et statut des rares Rhingia borealis et Rhingia rostrata en Belgique (Diptera: Syrphidae) Une liste de toutes les observations en Belgique de Rhingia borealis et de R. rostrata est donnée. Une inspection des collections a montré que R. borealis appartient depuis longtemps a la faune beige, mais que cette espèce a été confondue avec R. rostrata. Des observations récentes montrent qu'il y a toujours des populations dans 1'extrême Est du pays. Une ré- inspection de R. rostrata dans les collections a révélé 1 0 observations anciennes en Belgique, la demière en 1945; R. rostrata a été trouvée de nouveau en Belgique en 2009 dans trois localités des Hautes Fagnes, ce qui pourrait indiquer une réexpansion de cette espèce. Key words: Rhingia borealis - Rhingia rostrata - Faunistics - Distribution - Belgium. Van de Meutter, F.: Achterheide 16, 3980 Engsbergen. Introduction If we may judge one’s fame from the number of hits he/she generates on the internet, long-beaked hoverflies (Rhingia sp.) must be among the most renowned hoverfly species. No doubt, their extraordinary mouthparts which make them readily identifiable to non-expert entomologists add greatly to this reputation. Yet, things are never as easy as they seem. European Rhingia in fact are three closely similar species: R. borealis Ringdahl, 1928, R. campestris Meigen, 1822 and R. rostrata (Linnaeus, 1758), which require close inspection for identification. Rhingia campestris is the most likely Rhingia to be seen at any place and time over most of Europe. It occurs in a variety of agricultural, natural and urbanized habitats and is often abundant. In contrast, the other two Rhingia are more critical woodland species that occur localized in Europe and at much lower densities. Phegea 39 (3) (01JX.201 1): 107 Rhingia rostrata is known from many European countries; R. borealis is restricted to the boreal zone and (sub)montane areas south to the Pyrenees (Speight 2008). Larvae of Rhingia sp. probably all feed on dung. Yet, it appears that only R. campestris is able to exploit the omnipresent cattle dung, making it the most successful of the species trio (Speight 2008). Figure 1- Map of Belgium showing the 5><5km UTM squares where Rhingia borealis has been observed. (*=observation <1950, •=observation >1950 <1980, B^bservation >1980); Figure 2- Rhingia borealis <$, 24.V.2009, Saint-Vith (province of Liège), Belgium (photo P. Vantieghem). In Belgium, according to the faunistic overview by Verlinden & Decleer (1987), two species of Rhingia can be found; R. campestris and R. rostrata. The Belgian Syrphidae database (conceived by the E.I.S. Belgium) holds eight records of R. rostrata , which all refer to one individual. Two records are not dated. The other six records range from 1870 to 1945. The database records contrast with Verlinden & Decleer (1987) where a long series of observations from one locality is mentioned and a last observation in 1913. During visits to the collection of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) in Brussels I noticed several tens of Rhingia labeled as R. rostrata in the collection. For some individuals it was clear that they concemed misidentifications of R. campestris. Ho wever, it also was evident that more than eight R. rostrata individuals were present, which accords with Verlinden & Decleer (1987) but contrasts with the database. Recently, it became known that also the third European Rhingia species, R. borealis , occurs in Belgium (van Steenis 1998). The individual referred to in that paper (Bévercé, 28.VII.1973, leg. R. Leys) was discovered in a Dutch collection and was labeled as R. rostrata. Van Steenis (1998) indicates that this confusion between R. borealis and R. rostrata may be more common for three reasons. First, R. borealis females are extremely similar to females of R. rostrata and differ mainly in the presence of hairs on the arista (van Steenis 1998). Second, the key by Van der Goot (1981) only helps to key out males, not females. Third, it was long thought that R. borealis did no occur at moderately low altitudes in Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 108 Western Europe. Verlinden (1991, 1994), which is largely based on Van der Goot (1981), therefore refrained from including this species in his key. Van Steenis (1998) advocated re-identifying (female) R. rostrata present in collections to check whether R. borealis may be involved. His advise is particularly relevant to Belgian collection material, since he found the species to be present in Belgian material in a Dutch collection, in nearby areas in the Netherlands (1 record of two females) and in the German Eifel area (several records). Figure 3. Rhingia rostrata S, 17.VIII.1945, Chiny, Belgium, leg. & coll. M. Goetghebuer, kept at the RBINS, Brussels (photo J. Mortelmans); Figure 4 - Rhingia rostrata S, 06.IX.2009, Spa, Belgium, feeding on Origanum majorana (photo Ch. Devillers). The aim of this study is to clarify the details of historical R. rostrata records in Belgium, and to check all the female R. rostrata material for R. borealis. In addition, I report all recent Belgian records of R. borealis and R. rostrata. Finally, by combining these two sources of information, I present an overview of the faunistic status of R. borealis and R. rostrata in Belgium. Material and methods Collection I have found no reports of Belgian R. rostrata that are kept outside the main RBINS collection and the large private collections (e.g. the collections of Goetghebeur, Becquaert,...) that are now stored at the RBINS. For this study I therefore have only examined the material in these collections. I carefully re- identified all the specimens labeled as R. rostrata in the collections using the keys of van Steenis (1998), van Veen (2004) and Haarto & Kerppola (2007). The abundant material of R. campestris was briefly screened for misidentified R. rostrata or R. borealis. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 109 Table 1 : Detailed overview of all currently known records of Rhingia rostrata in Belgium. Records are listed chronologically. Locality Male Females Date Legit Collection Belgique 1 Not dated RBINS Sclessin 1 Not dated de Moffarts E. Coucke/RBINS Louette St. Pierre 5 3 IV-V.1870 RBINS Louette St. Pierre 7 1 VI. 1870 RBINS Louette St. Pierre 1 13.VII.1870 RBINS Heure 1 19.VIII.1891 RBINS Dinant 1 V-VI.1 889 Naturalistes Dinantais RBINS Glain 2 <1918 E. Candèze RBINS Hockai 1 26.IV.1913 RBINS Chiny 1 17.VIII.1945 M. Goetghebuer M. Goetghebuer Hockai 1 23.V.2009 M. Reemer M. Reemer Rocherath 1 31.VIII.2009 F. Van de Meutter F. Van de Meutter Spa 1 6.IX.2009 C. Devillers Table 2: Detailed overview of all currently known records of Rhingia borealis in Belgium. Locality Male Females Date Legit Collection Orval 2 25.VII.1891 E. Coucke E. Coucke Bévercé 1 28.VII.1973 R. Leys R. Leys Robertville (Warche) 1 26.V.2005 B. Wakkie B. Wakkie Rocherath (Jansbach) 1 1 23.V.2009 B. Wakkie, F. Van de Meutter, P. Vantieghem B. Wakkie, F. Van de Meutter Rocherath (Holzwarche) Enkelberger mühle 2 23.V.2009 B. Wakkie, F. Van de Meutter, P. Vantieghem B. Wakkie, F. Van de Meutter Saint Vith (Walleroderwald) 3 1 24.V.2009 B. Wakkie, F. Van de Meutter, P. Vantieghem B. Wakkie, P. Vantieghem Rocherath (Holzwarche) Enkelberger mühle 1 2 13.VI.2009 F. Van de Meutter F. Van de Meutter Rocherath (Jansbach) 3 13.VI.2009 F. Van de Meutter F. Van de Meutter Rocherath (Holzwarche) Enkelberger mühle 1 13-30.VI.2009 F. Van de Meutter F. Van de Meutter Rocherath (Holzwarche) Enkelberger mühle 2 30. VI- 31. VIII.2009 F. Van de Meutter F. Van de Meutter Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 110 Field surveys During May, June and August 2009 I spent six whole-day excursions to the Belgian Eifel area near Rocherath. Special focus was on the Jansbach, Holzwarche and Olef river valleys. End May 2009, a weekend was spend looking for Syrphidae in the company of Pieter Vantieghem and Bastiaan Wakkie visiting the Walleroderwald near Saint-Vith in addition to the above areas. Results Re-examination of the RBINS collection Rhingia borealis Among the R. rostrata specimens in the collections at the RBINS I found two female R. borealis , both collected at the “forêt d’Orval” on 25.VII.1891. These well-conserved individuals stood out among the R. rostrata by their short, bold snout. The relatively long-haired arista confirmed their identity. I want to note, however, that also R. rostrata often has well visible hairs on the arista, in contrast to the drawings in van Steenis (1998) and the description given in some recent keys (van Veen 2004). The hairs on the arista in R. rostrata are shorter than the width of the arista, while they are equal or longer than de arista width (except at the base of the arista) in R. borealis. In the R. borealis specimens I have seen, arista hairs often seemed longer in females than in males, possibly pointing to sex-specific differences, but more material should be examined to confirm this. The Belgian Syrphidae database lists an intriguing set of 26 observations under the name R. austriaca. This name was long (but wrongly - auct. nee.) applied to R. borealis , but seems to have been applied to (some phenotype?) of R. campestris as well. The latter conclusion comes from re-examining a number of R. austriaca individuals that were relocated in the RBINS collections that were all R. campestris. A set of more recent observations could no be checked since it is unclear whether they were collected and, if so, where they are now. Interestingly, some of these records are from Elsenbom and the Jansbach valley at Rocherath, exactly the places where we found R. borealis in 2009, and were done by expert observers. Strangely, while all these records predate 1981, they were not considered by the later publications of Verlinden & Decleer (1987) or Verlinden (1991, 1994). Rhingia rostrata Re-identification of the 40+ R. rostrata-\&bQ\Q& specimens in the RBINS collection revealed the presence of 24 R. rostrata individuals (15 male, 9 female) constituting ten different records (Table 1). A remarkable series of observations comes from Louette Saint-Pierre where no less than 17 individuals were collected in April-July 1870 by a single observer. A male R. rostrata dating from 17.VIII.1945 at Chiny was found in the collection of M. Goetghebuer. This record is lacking in Verlinden & Decleer (1987). Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 111 Recent observations R. borealis After the first confirmed record in collection material (van Steenis 1998), it lasted until 2005 when again a R. borealis was found in Belgium (Warche valley, Table 2). More specific searches during 2009 revealed the presence of some prosperous populations in the area upstream of the 2005 record, in the valleys of the Holzwarche and the Jansbach, and in the south-east of the Hautes Fagnes near Saint-Vith (Table 2). A total of 17 individuals of R. borealis were observed in 2009. R. borealis were found visiting flowers of Ajuga reptans , Centaurea montana , Polygonum bistorta , Sarothamnus scoparius, Silene dioica and Taraxacum officinale. R. rostrata Surprisingly, R. rostrata was observed several times in Belgium in 2009 after 65 years of absence (Table 1, Van de Meutter et al., in prep.). A first individual of the spring generation was seen near Hockai in the valley of the Hoegne end May 2009. End August 2009 a R. rostrata of probably the second generation was caught feeding on Cirsium palustre in the valley of the Jansbach river near Rocherath at exactly the same place where a series of R. borealis was observed earlier that year. Also R. campestris occurs here in number making this an exceptional locality housing all three European Rhingia. Finally, at the beginning of September 2009, R. rostrata was photographed in a residential neighbourhood in Spa, which is not far (1.5 km) from the Hautes Fagnes woodlands. Discussion Barkemeyer (1986) was the first to discover that R. borealis may not be a strictly boreomontane species in Western Europe being restricted to the Alps, but that it also occurs in the lower mountains of the Harz area near Hannover and in SW Germany. Van Steenis (1998) showed that also the Eifel and the Vosges are populated with R. borealis. He postulated that the presence of this species in the latter areas may be due to a recent range shift given the lack of observations predating 1960. 1 now show that R. borealis occurred in Belgium already as early as 1891. The fact that two individuals are involved suggests that probably a local population existed, and that this were no haphazardly taken wandering individuals. The locality of this observation is situated outside the Eifel area indicating that R. borealis may occur more widespread and at even lower altitudes than was so far known (the 1891 locality at Orval is at 250-300m ASL). In 2009, a thorough search for Syrphidae in the Hautes Fagnes/Eifel area revealed the presence of several apparently prosperous populations of R. borealis. Several individuals were repeatedly observed at three localities (Table 2) at altitudes varying from 460-65 Om ASL. We experienced that finding R. borealis required a strategy different from a general search for Syrphidae: R. borealis usually flew in poorly accessible, damp, shaded places with thick undergrowth and in close proximity of small rivulets. This may explain why such Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 112 a conspicuous black-reddish (males) and grey-orange (females) fly has gone unnoticed for all these years. Since all populations currently known are closely linked to the dendritic network of the many small rivers that occur in the Hautes Fagnes/Eifel (Holzwarche, Jansbach, ...), it is likely that this network may act as a dispersal corridor for this species. It would be interesting to selectively sample along this network to find out how extensive the distribution of R. borealis in Belgium may be. Re-identifying all the R. rostrata material present in the RBINS collection resulted in ten different records of R. rostrata conceming 24 individuals. Not less than 17 individuals are from one single year and place (Louette St.-Pierre, April- July 1870) indicating the species was prosperous at that time and place. It appears that the Belgian Syrphidae database does not mention counts above one from the same day for collection material (and observations?); a recurrent problem that creates an incomplete view on the faunistics of the species involved. One record (two individuals) of R. rostrata listed by Verlinden & Decleer (1987) and mapped in subsequent publications by Verlinden (1991, 1994) was shown to be R. borealis , whilst three “new” overlooked records of R. rostrata may be added (Table 1). One of the additional records of R. rostrata is from 1945, which is considerably later than the last date (1913) mentioned by Verlinden & Decleer (1987). Interestingly, the species made a noticeable comeback in 2009 after 65 years of absence! All three new records are from the Hautes Fagnes, though distantly spaced over its entire area. In the U.K., the species’ status was revised several times to a less vulnerable class recently to keep up with an increasing distribution and number of observations (Hoverfly Recording Scheme; http://www.hoverfly.org.uk/). I am not aware of a similar ongoing population resurrection on the European continent at present. However, it is hoped that the series of observations in 2009 may reflect a revival of R. rostrata in Belgium, and may be part of a larger phenomenon acting at the West-European scale. It may well prove worthy keeping an eye open for this species in the coming years in Belgium and its neighbouring countries. Conclusion The data presented in this study allow us to revise the status of R. borealis and R. rostrata in Belgium. R. borealis appears to be an ancient member of the Belgian fauna that probably was long overlooked due to its secretive behaviour and close affinity with a poorly accessible habitat (small and shaded rivulets). Recent data suggest that it occurs localized in the east and southeast of the Hautes Fagnes area, but may be found in numbers here. R. rostrata appears to have been a relatively abundant species in Belgium in the second half of the 1 9th century, at least locally (cf. Verlinden & Decleer 1987). It then probably has declined dramatically at the beginning of the 20th century, as was observed over the whole of Europe (van Steenis 1998, Speight 2008). An observation in 1945 indicates that some populations may have locally persisted for some time, however, it was considered extinct by Verlinden & Decleer (1987). In 2009, R. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 113 rostrata was rediscovered at three locations within the Hautes Fagnes area, though always in singletons indicating densities may be very low. It is to be awaited whether R. rostrata now will be found more regularly and/or more widespread. More prospecting will be needed to assess the status of the currently known populations(?). We may cautiously conclude that R. rostrata (still?) has some local populations in the Hautes Fagnes. References Barkemeyer W. 1986. Zum Vorkommen seltener und bemerkenswerter Schwebfliegen in Niedersachsen (Diptera, Syrphidae). — Drosera 2: 79-88. Haarto A. & Kerppola S. 2007. Suomen Kukkakarpaset ja lahialueiden lajeja (Finnish hoverflies and some species in adjacent countries). — Edita. Speight M. C. D. 2008. Species accounts of European Syrphidae (Diptera) 2008. - In: Speight, M. C. D., Castella, E., Sarthou, J.-P. & Monteil, C. (eds.) Syrph the Net, the database of European Syrphidae, vol. 55, 262 pp., Syrph the Net publications, Dublin. Van der Goot V. S. 1981. De zweefvliegen van Noordwest-Europa en Europees Rusland, in het bijzonder de Benelux. — Bibliotheek van de Koninklijke Nederlandse Natuurhistorische Vereniging 32: 1-274. Van Steenis J. 1998. Rhingia borealis nieuw voor Nederland en België, met een tabel tot de Europese Rhingia- soorten (Diptera: Syrphidae). — Entomologische Berichten, Amsterdam 58: 73-77. Verlinden L. 1991. Zweefvliegen ( Syrphidae ). — Fauna van België. Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen, Brussel. Verlinden L. 1994. Faune de Belgique : Syrphidés ( Syrphidae ). — Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique. Bruxelles. Verlinden L. & Decleer K. 1987. The hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Belgium and their faunistics. — Studiedocumenten Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen 39: 1-170. Phegea 39 (3) (Ol.IX.201 1): 114 De huidige status van Brenthis daphne (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae) in België en aangrenzende gebieden. Update en notities betreffende een onverwachte vondst Sylvain Cuvelier & Stef Spruytte Samenvatting. Het blijkt dat Brenthis daphne (Bergstrasser, 1780) snel zijn areaal noordwaarts uitbreidt binnen Europa. Het is pas in 2006 dat de soort voor het eerst gemeld werd uit de Gaume (Zuidoost-België). We geven een overzicht van de situatie, eind 2010, in België en melden een onverwachte vondst van een dood exemplaar in Ploegsteert (enclave van Henegouwen in West- Vlaanderen). Résumé. Etat actuel de Brenthis daphne (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae) en Belgique et mise a jour avec des notes concemant une trouvaille exceptionnelle. II semble que Brenthis daphne (Bergstrasser, 1780) élargisse rapidement son aire de distribution en Europe vers le Nord. Ce n’est qu’en 2006 que 1’espèce est mentionné pour la première fois de la Gaume (Sud-Est de la Belgique). Nous foumissons un aper9u de la situation, fin 2010, en Belgique et rapportons la trouvaille inattendue d’un exemplaire mort, trouvé a Ploegsteert (enclave du Hainaut en Flandre Occidentale). Abstract. The current status of Brenthis daphne (Lepidoptera : Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae) in Belgium with notes conceming an unexpected finding. Brenthis daphne (Bergstrasser, 1780) appears to be rapidly expanding its European range in northem direction. In 2006, the species was recorded for the first time ffom the Gaume area (south-eastem Belgium). We provide an overview of the status, end 2010, of this species in Belgium and report the unexpected finding of a dead specimen found at Ploegsteert (enclave of Hainaut in West Flanders). Key words: Nymphalidae - Heliconiinae - Brenthis daphne - Belgium - Faunistics. Cuvelier, S.: Diamantstraat 4, B-8900 leper, (sylvain.cuvelier@pandora.be) Spruytte, S.: Vogelweelde 15, B-8950 Nieuwkerke, (stef.spruytte@telenet.be) Verspreiding Brenthis daphne (Bergstrasser, 1780) komt in zuidelijk Europa voor vanaf Noord-Portugal, doorheen Spanje, grote delen van Frankrijk, Zuid-Duitsland, Italië, de Alpen en zuidelijk naar de Balkan waar de soort in Zuid-Griekenland schaars wordt. In de Middellandse zee komt de soort enkel voor op Sicilië en Samos. In Noord-Europa is de soort waargenomen in Noordoost-Polen en Litouwen. Nominale daphne komt in Azië voor tot in de Kaukasus. Vanaf Centraal- Azië tot Japan zijn enkele andere ondersoorten beschreven. Er is één jaarlijkse generatie. Diverse Rubus- soorten worden gemeld als voedselplant. Sinds meer dan 10 jaar wordt er melding gemaakt dat daphne zijn areaal snel aan het uitbreiden is in noordwestelijke richting. In de jaren ‘90 was er een spectaculaire uitbreiding van de soort in Frans-Lotharingen (Fichefet et al. 2008). In de recente boeken over Picardië (Duquef et al. 2004) en Normandië (Dardenne et al. 2008) wordt evenwel geen melding gemaakt van de soort. Volgens L. Manil (e-mail) wordt de soort regelmatig gemeld uit het zuiden van de regio ïle-de-France (Forêt de Fontainebleau in het departement Seine-et- Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.2011): 115 Mame alsook uit het departement Essonne). De soort is volgens hem niet gekend uit het centrum en het noorden van deze regio. Van J. Charles (e-mail) vernamen we dat de soort ook niet voorkomt in Picardië (Oise, Aisne en Somme). In 2000 (Fichefet et al. 2008) werd B. daphne voor het eerst waargenomen in het Groothertogdom Luxemburg. De eerste Belgische waarneming kwam zoals te verwachten uit de Gaume, twee exemplaren (mailforum Lycaena, P. Goffart), daterend van 13 juli 2006. De soort werd datzelfde jaar in de Gaume al op drie verschillende plaatsen waargenomen en in 2007 werd daphne in twee van die plaatsen opnieuw waargenomen wat duidelijk doet vermoeden dat de soort er zich ook al voortplant (Fichefet et al. 2008). Vanaf 2007 tot en met 2010 prospecteert P. Taymans met een jaarlijks vergelijkbare intensiteit in de Vallée de la Chiers (Lotharingen), op zowel Frans als Belgisch grondgebied. Zijn gegevens, hoofdzakelijk uit Frans-Lotharingen, laten een zeer duidelijke vooruitgang van de soort zien: 1 ex. in 2007, 8 ex. in 2008, 19 ex. in 2009 en 70 ex. in 2010. Zijn vroegste waarneming op het jaar gebeurde op 14 juni 2009 nabij Thonne-les-Près (departement Meuse, Frankrijk). De laatste waarneming op het jaar dateert van 08 augustus 2009 te Juvigny-sur- Loison (departement Meuse, Frankrijk). Op 15 juli 2010 waren de vlinders al op het eind van de vliegtijd want alle geobserveerde exemplaren waren reeds afgevlogen (e-mail M. Taymans). Op 13 juni 2007 werd daphne voor het eerst waargenomen in het oosten van het Franse departement du Nord, meer bepaald in de Avesnois (D. Haubreux, mail forum papillon5962). Bij navraag bij D. Haubreux, eind 2010, is dit nog steeds de enige vondst uit de departementen Nord en Pas-de-Calais. Op de website waamemingen.be toont de verspreidingskaart op 1 1 november 2010 observaties uit de provincies Luxemburg, Namen, Luik en Henegouwen. De soort komt duidelijk voor in de Gaume en in de Viroin. Dergelijke gegevens zijn onvoldoende controleerbaar maar de beschikbare foto’s, behalve één wazige foto met enkel de bovenzijde, laten toe om de kenmerken te verifiëren en laten geen twijfel bestaan over een aantal determinaties. De vroegste waarneming is 04 juni 2009 waarbij een verwarring met Brenthis ino (Rottemburg, 1775) niet met zekerheid kan worden uitgesloten want er ontbreken bewijzen. De volgende waamemingsdatum voor België in deze gegevens is 22 juni 2010, de laatste 06 augustus 2008. De vliegperiode (grafiek 1) situeert zich hoofdzakelijk tussen de derde decade van juni en de derde decade van juli. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 116 140 120 Grafiek 1. Fenologie per decade van Brenthis daphne (gegevens op waamemingen.be, bewerkt op ll.xi.2010 door S. Cuvelier). De laatste twee jaren is er een opvallende stijging van het aantal observaties op waamemingen.be: 2 ex. in 2006; 0 ex. in 2007; 3 ex. in 2008; 29 ex. in 2009 en 155 ex. in 2010. Men kan niet uitsluiten dat door het groeiende bewustzijn betreffende het voorkomen van daphne in België er nu veel nauwlettender wordt geobserveerd maar ook de hete maand juli 2010 zal een rol hebben gespeeld in deze forse stijging. Van V. Fichefet kregen we ook de beschikbare gegevens, eind 2010, over B daphne van de “GT Lycaena” uit Wallonië. Het valt niet uit te sluiten dat er overlappingen zijn met de voorgaande gegevens op waamemingen.be. De eerste waarneming hier, eveneens uit de Gaume, dateert van 17 juli 2006. Er zijn vooral waarnemingen uit de provincie Luxemburg en slechts één melding van 2 exemplaren uit de provincie Namen. Over één waarneming in 2010 is er twijfel, alle andere waarnemingen werden gevalideerd. Deze ene onzekere waarneming niet in acht genomen zien we ook in deze gegevens een duidelijke progressie: 1 ex. in 2006, 4 ex. in 2007, 12 ex. in 2008, 14 ex. in 2009 en 20 exemplaren in 2010. Op waamemingen.be is er voor geheel Vlaanderen geen enkele daphne- observatie ingebracht. Ook de vlinderwerkgroep van Natuurpunt (e-mail D. Maes) heeft tot en met 2010 geen enkele Vlaamse waarneming ontvangen. Tot eind 2009 zijn er ook uit Nederland geen waarnemingen gekend (Vliegenthart 2009) en zijn er geen meldingen van deze soort op waarneming.nl voor 2010. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 117 Het ziet er in ieder geval naar uit dat daphne definitief deel uitmaakt van de Belgische fauna en zijn opmars noordwaarts verder zet. Waarneming te Ploegsteert Op 20 juli 2010 vond S. Spruytte totaal onverwacht een dood exemplaar (fig. 1, 2) op de weg tussen Mesen en Ploegsteert (enclave van Henegouwen in West- Vlaanderen). Dat enkel de voorvleugels terug werden gevonden, lijkt te wijzen in de richting van een vlinder die mogelijk door een voertuig gegrepen werd, waarbij het lichaamsdeel met de achtervleugels afbrak. Fig. 1-2. Brenthis daphne (Bergstrasser, 1780), België, West- Vlaanderen, Ploegsteert 20.vii.2010; 1- bovenzijde; 2. -onderzij de (foto’s: S. Spruytte) Actueel is er ons geen enkele andere waarneming bekend uit deze omgeving (e-mail J. B. Rosseel) en evenmin uit het aanpalende gebied in Noord -Frankrijk (e-mail D. Haubreux). Gedurende de doorgedreven inventarisatie door de Z.W.V.V.K (Cuvelier et al. 2007) van 2000 tot en met 2006, werd deze vlinder niet vermeld uit de provincie West- Vlaanderen en actueel is er ons ook geen enkele waarneming bekend. Deze vondst moet echter met uiterste voorzichtigheid worden geïnterpreteerd en is zeker nog geen bewijs van de aanwezigheid van B. daphne in deze regio of enclave van Henegouwen. Het is onduidelijk hoe dit dood exemplaar hier terechtgekomen is. De vlinder kan ver van Ploegsteert door een auto zijn gevat en toevallig tot op de vindplaats zijn meegebracht of vervoerd. Anderzijds kan men natuurlijk ook stellen dat hoe dichter er populaties van daphne naderen, hoe meer kans er bestaat op dergelijk adventief exemplaar. We verwijzen hierbij naar twee anekdotes die dergelijke mogelijkheid onderstrepen: 1. de observatie (Cuvelier et al. 2007) van een Pontia daplidice (Linnaeus, 1758) in 2005 in de omgeving van Kortrijk waarbij kort na het imago ook een lege pop werd gevonden op de fiets die mee was op de reis naar Spanje. 2. de gedocumenteerde vondst (Steeno 1995) van een dood exemplaar Brintesia circe (Fabricius, 1775) in de provincie Limburg waar ook dergelijk vermoeden van uitgaat. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 118 Besluit Deze interessante vondst is onvoldoende om al aan te tonen dat Brenthis daphne ook zal doordringen naar het westen van het land. Vooral vanaf midden juni tot begin augustus loont het de moeite om uit te kijken naar deze soort buiten de Gaume en de Viroin om potentiële vooruitgang te kunnen vaststellen. Uiteraard is prospectie in de bredere omgeving van Ploegsteert en het aanpalende gebied van Heuvelland zinvol want er zijn zeker mogelijk geschikte biotopen. Dankwoord Graag bedanken we J. Charles, W. De Prins, V. Dinca, V. Fichefet, D. Haubreux, A. Keymeulen, P. Lighezzolo, D. Maes, L. Manil, J.B. Rosseel, M. Taymans, P. Taymans, J. Verhuist en M. Zwertvaegher voor hun tips en/of het doorsturen van gegevens die het mogelijk hebben gemaakt om zo accuraat mogelijk de situatie te beschrijven in België en de aanpalende grensgebieden. Literatuur Cuvelier, S., Degrande, J., Merveillie, L., Spruytte, S. & Vervaeke, J. 2007. Dagvlinders in West- Vlaanderen. Verspreiding en Ecologie 2000-2006. — Zuid- West- Vlaamse Vlinder Kring, 144 pp. Dardenne, B., Démares, M., Guérard, P., Hazet, G., Lepertel, N., Quinette, J. P. & Radigue, F. 2008. Papillons de la Normandie et des ïles Anglo-Normandes. Atlas des Rhopalocères et des Zygènes. — Rouen, 200 pp. Duquef, M., Foumal, M. & Pruvot, D. 2004. La Picardie et ses papillons. Tomé 1 Les Rhopalocères. — Compiègne, 224 pp. Fichefet, V., Barbier, I., Baugnée, J-Y., Duffêne, M., Goffart, P., Maes, D. & Van Dyck, H. 2008. Papillons de jour de Wallonië (1985-2007). — Série "Faune-Flore-Habitat" n°4, Gembloux, 320 pp. http://waamemingen.be. Een initiatief van Natuurpunt Studie vzw en de Stichting Natuurinformatie. [Bekeken 1 1 .xi.20 1 0] . http://waameming.nl [Bekeken 1 1 .xi.20 1 0]. Steeno, R. 1995. Eerste vondst van Brintesia circe (Fabricius, 1775) in België (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae). — Phegea 23(3): 144. Vliegenthart, A. 2009. Een opmerkelijk vlinderjaar. — Vlinders 4: 8-11. Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 119 Boekbespreking SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES 11 11 lllil 3 9088 01 ( 545 3 474 Slamka, F.: Pyraloidea (Lepidoptera) of Central Europe / Mitteleuropas. Identification - Distribution - Habitat - Biology. 16, '5 x 23,5 cm, 176 p. incl. 53 zwartwit -platen en 12 kleurenplaten, Frantisek Slamka, Racianska 61, SK-83102, Bratislava, Slovakia, f.slamka@nextra.sk, home.nextra.sk/fslamka, gebonden, 2010, 49,- € (ISBN 978-80-969052-7-0). Deze derde editie van dit succesrijke boekje bevat alle recent vermelde Pyraloidea-soorten uit Midden-Europa, o.a. Diplopseustis perieresalis en Cydalima perspectalis . Zoals in de vorige edities ligt de nadruk op de afbeeldingen. De tekst is in twee talen, Engels en Duits, en bevat geen info over de uiterlijke morfologie van de soorten of kenmerken waarmee men nauw verwante soorten kan onderscheiden. Dit is toch wel een nadeel voor een boek dat specifiek bedoeld is als determineerwerk. De tekst bevat informatie over het voorkomen in Midden-Europa (verspreiding en habitat), de vliegtijd van het imago en de voedselplanten en de levenswijze van de rupsen. De nomenclatuur volgt nauwgezet die van Fauna Europaea en heel wat synoniemen worden opgesomd wat het gebruik van oudere literatuur vergemakkelijkt. De zwartwit-platen bevatten pentekeningen van mannelijke en vrouwelijke genitalia en soms ook van de vleugeltekening. De meeste van deze tekeningen zijn schematisch nagetekend uit andere publicaties en in sommige gevallen nogal sterk vereenvoudigd, vooral in het geval van de vrouwelijke genitalia. Het vraagt dan ook enige ervaring om met behulp van deze tekeningen de soorten te determineren. De kleurenplaten bevatten foto’s van geprepareerde motten in ware grootte en afgebeeld op lichtgrijze achtergrond. De legende vermeldt de faunistische gegevens van de afgebeelde exemplaren. Erg praktisch is dat doorheen het hele boek eenzelfde nummeringssysteem is gehandhaafd zodat men snel de op een kleurenplaat gevonden afbeelding kan linken aan de genitalia en de tekst. Achteraan volgt nog een literatuurlijst met hoofdzakelijk publicaties uit de laatste dertig jaar en een alfabetische index. Het boek is keurig uitgegeven en het kan met succes gebruikt worden voor de determinatie van de Midden-Europese, en daarmee ook Belgische, Pyraloidea (Pyralidae en Crambidae). Willy De Prins Inhoud: Bosmans, B.: Nanophyes brevis (Coleoptera: Nanophyidae) new for Flanders ..84 Cuvelier, S. & Spruytte, S.: De huidige status van Brenthis daphne (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae) in België en aangrenzende gebieden. Update en notities betreffende een onverwachte vondst 115 Székely, L., Dinca, V. & Juhasz, L: Macrolepidoptera from the steppes of Dobrogea (south-eastem Romania) 85 Van de Meutter, F.: The distribution and status of the rare Rhingia borealis and Rhingia rostrata in Belgium (Diptera: Syrphidae) 107 Veraghtert, W. & De Prins, W.: Lepteucosma huebneriana, nieuw voor de Belgische fauna (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) 81 Boekbespreking 40 verantw. uitg.: W. De Prins, Dorpstraat 40 1B, B-3061 Leefdaal (Belgium) - Tel: +32-2-305.37.32 Phegea 39 (3) (01.IX.201 1): 120