Volume 19 – 2014-2015
Adaptation of a simple technique for rearing lotic mayfly (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) nymphs Éva Váncsa1,2, Zoltán Csata2 & László Rákosy1 1Babeş-Bolyai University, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Clinicilor str. 5-7, Cluj-Napoca, Romania 2National Administration of Romanian Waters, Olt River Directorate, Water Management System of Covasna, Lunca Oltului 41, Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania article no.: ER1920141501 Summary: Rearing aquatic insects has puzzled scientists in different fields of biology and enlarged our knowledge about the taxonomy, biology, ethology, ecology of the reared species. The laboratory maintenance of lotic aquatic insect larvae is extremely difficult and time consuming due to their habitat adaptations. Above all, it requires expensive equipment. A simple and inexpensive facility is introduced here from aquaculture and adapted for indoor rearing of lotic insect larvae. The efficiency of the “reversedfunnel” method was tested on last instar mayfly nymphs belonging to several taxa. Young instars of Ecdyonurus sp. were also reared to reveal the suitability of the system for long-term indoor maintenance of especially sensible lotic mayflies. Owing to the results of the evaluation it is expected that the described method will provide a wider access to life-history experiments of mayflies and will be successfully applied to other lotic taxonomic units as well. Key words: “reversed-funnel” method, rearing chamber, lotic mayflies, emergence success, rearing success. e-mail: vancsaeva@gmail.com	[details, abstract]	[pdf]
Redescovering Tomares nogelii dobrogensis Caradja, 1895 in Romania László Rákosy1 & Cristina Craioveanu1 1Babeş-Bolyai University, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Clinicilor str. 5-7, Cluj-Napoca, Romania article no.: ER1920141502 Summary: Tomares nogelii, one of the rarest butterfly species from Europe, was considered extinct in Romania and the European Union since 1980. The species was rediscovered in 2014 in a wooded steppe from Northern Dobrogea, area from where the subspecies dobrogensis Caradja was described in 1895. Several individuals, ♂♂ and ♀♀, were recorded on the flowers of Astragalus ponticus. A female was photographed during egg-laying on the flower buds of Astragalus ponticus. Key words: Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Tomares nogelii dobrogensis, endangered, extinct species, Romanian Red List species. e-mail: laszlo.rakosy@ubbcluj.ro, christii_99@yahoo.com	[details, abstract]	[pdf]
Lignyoptera fumidaria (Hübner, 1825) (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) - a new FFH Directive protected species in Romanian fauna Cosmin Manci1, Cristian Sitar2 & László Rákosy1 1Babeş-Bolyai University, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Clinicilor str. 5-7, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. 2Babeş-Bolyai University, Zoological Museum, Clinicilor str. 5-7, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. article no.: ER1920141503 Summary: Lignyoptera fumidaria (Hübner, 1825) is reported for the first time in the Romanian fauna. The only specimen, a male, was collected in the Stânca village (18/11/2014, N47.0698, E27.8038), Comarna commune, Iași county, at an altitude of 50 meters. Being a species of the EU FFH Directive, special protection and conservation measures are required, especially new investigations to determine the status and number of populations. Key words: Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Lignyoptera fumidaria, Romanian first record, EU FFH Directive species, conservation measures. e-mail: cosminom@gmail.com, cristiansitar@yahoo.com, laszlo.rakosy@ubbcluj.ro	[details, abstract]	[pdf]
Partial mtCOI-sequences of Balkanic species of Pseudochazara (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) reveal three well-differentiated lineages Kornél Takáts1 & Morten Mølgaard2 1Rókus u. 11, H-2083, Solymár, Hungary 2Gertrud Rasks Vej 86, DK-9210, Aalborg SØ, Denmark article no.: ER1920141504 Summary: In this paper we present ‘barcode’ haplotypes of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) of Pseudochazara species (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) occurring in Balkan Peninsula. Our phylogenetic reconstruction indicates 3 well-differentiated lineages within the 7 species: the ‘mamurra-group’ (Pseudochazara geyeri, P. graeca, P. amymone), the ‘mniszechii-group’ (P. mniszechii, P. cingovskii, P. orestes) and a third lineage comprising only P. anthelea. In lineages containing multiple members, the number of differences between pairs in nucleotide positions generally were considerably low: amymone-graeca: 1 (0.15%), mniszechii-orestes: 2(0.30%), mniszechii-cingovskii: 3(0.46%) and orestes-cingovskii: 3 (0.46%). The genital studies of male specimens largely supported the lineage relations mentioned above. The divergence of wing colouration could change much more rapidly than that of mtCOI sequences, influenced by external environmental factors such as the colour of the substrate. Key words: Pseudochazara, barcode haplotypes, lineages, genetic differentiation, endemic species, wing colouration, substrate. e-mail: kornel.takats@gmail.com, msm2@stofanet.dk	[details, abstract]	[pdf]
Changes in butterfly assemblages of meadows in a Transcarpathian game reserve Szabolcs Szanyi1 & Zoltán Varga1 1University of Debrecen, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, 4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary article no.: ER1920141505 Summary: Butterfly assemblages of meadows in the Transcarpathian part of the Bereg plain were studied in three consecutive years (2012-2014) with standard transect walks in 6 different sites (14 transects). In different types of dry, semi-dry and humid meadows more than 6500 individuals of 66 species were observed. The mostly disturbed dry pasture has shown the lowest, and the less disturbed semi-dry and humid meadows surrounded by natural forests have shown the highest species numbers and diversity (Shannon-Wiener). Considering the faunal types, the widely distributed, generalist Euro-Siberian species predominate, with significant presence of Holo-Mediterranean and southern Continental elements, however. The list contains some species of European nature conservation significance (Lycaena dispar, Lopinga achine). In 2014 both the species and individual number of butterfly have shown a sizeable decrease in connection with the early summer aridity. The most radical decrease was observed in species which need some higher level of humidity. Key words: Bereg plain, linear transects, disturbed pasture, semi-natural meadows, fringe structures, gallery forests, summer drought, Euro-Siberian, generalist species. e-mail: szanyiszabolcs@gmail.com	[details, abstract]	[pdf]