M. Sc. thesis     Submitted in 2000     UDC 632.78Noctuidae(497.113Sombor)(043.2)

THE FAUNA OF OWLET MOTHS (NOCTUIDAE, LEPIDOPTERA) IN SOMBOR WITH THE POPULATION DYNAMICS OF THE MOST NUMEROUS SPECIES

 Dragan Vajgand, B. Sc.

 ABSTRACT

 In the period from 1994 to 1997 Owlet Moths were being captured with a light trap type "Bečej". A mercury light TEŽ WTF 250 W was used as a light source. The light trap was placed on Fernbah Salash, 4 km south-east from the town of Sombor. 

During the mentioned four years more than 27000 specimens were examined and 116 species determined. According to the collected and elaborated references (reader should refer to the Literatura) in Vojvodina there have been 279 species of Owlet Moths registered by now. 

During four years of investigation following species are registered in Vojvodina for the first time: Herminia grisealis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Prodotis stolida (Fabricius, 1775), Rivula sericealis (Scopoli, 1763), Parascotia fuliginaria (Linnaeus, 1761), Trichoplusia ni (Hübner, [1803]), Eublemma amoena (Hübner, 1803), Cucullia asteris ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), C. lychnitis (Rambur, 1833), Cosmia affinis (Linnaeus, 1767), Rhizedra lutosa (Hübner, [1803]), Archanara sparganii (Esper, [1790]) and Mythimna obsoleta (Hübner, [1803]).

We haven't found any record about the species: Diachrysia nadeja (Oberthür, 1880) and Cucullia dracunculi (Hübner, [1813]) neither for the fauna of Vojvodina nor for the fauna of Serbia, therefore these two species are to be considered new for the mentioned regions.

Out of the species which in the references are said to be rare, local, or not numerous we captured: Moma alpium (Osbeck, 1778), Simyra albovenosa (Goeze, 1781), Dysgonia algira (Linnaeus, 1767), Prodotis stolida (Fabricius, 1775), Catephia alchymista ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Aedia leucomelas (Linnaeus, 1758), Laspeyria flexula ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Parascotia fuliginaria (Linnaeus, 1761), Colobochyla salicalis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Diachrysia chryson (Esper, [1789]), Plusia festucae (Linnaeus, 1758), Deltote bankiana (Fabricius, 1775), Pseudeustrotia candidula ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Eublemma ostrina (Hübner, [1808]), E. amoena (Hübner, 1803), Cucullia fraudatrix Eversmann, 1837, C. absinthii (Linnaeus, 1761), C. artemisiae (Hufnagel, 1766), C. lactucae ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), C. dracunculi (Hübner, [1813]), Schargacucullia lychnitis (Rambur, 1833), Elaphria venustula (Hübner, 1790), Chilodes maritima (Tauscher, 1806), Polyphaenis sericata (Esper, [1787]), Eucarta amethystina (Hübner, [1803]), E. virgo (Treitschke, 1835), Ipimorpha subtusa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Mesogona oxalina (Hübner, [1803]), Cosmia affinis (Linnaeus, 1767), Episema glaucina (Esper, 1789), Aporophyla lutulenta ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Scotochrosta pulla ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Rhizedra lutosa (Hübner, [1803]), Archanara geminipuncta (Haworth, 1809), A. sparganii (Esper, [1790]), Mythimna flammea (Curtis, 1828), Egira conspicillaris (Linnaeus, 1758), and Agrotis crassa (Hübner, [1803]).

Considering the general spreading of the species, the majority is expanded in the Palearctic subkingdom. 

Migratory species are also captured. Among eumigrators and seasonal migrants of 1 st order Autographa gamma (Linnaeus, 1758) and Agrotis ipsilon  (Hufnagel, 1766) were caught. Out of emigrants we captured the following species: Prodotis stolida (Fabricius, 1775), Tyta luctuosa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Macdounnoughia confusa (Stephens, 1850), Trichoplusia ni (Hübner, [1803]), Acontia lucida (Hufnagel, 1766), Schinia scutosa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, [1808]), Spodoptera exigua (Hübner, [1808]), Phlogophora meticulosa (Linnaeus, 1758), Mythimna vitellina (Hübner, [1808]), Noctua pronuba (Linnaeus, 1758), N. fimbriata (Schreber, 1759), and Peridroma saucia (Hübner, [1808]). Within the group of dismigrators, the subgroup  of species which are supposed to be migrating the following species were captured: Catocala electa (Vieweg, 1790), Mythimna albipuncta ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), M. l-album (Linnaeus, 1767), Xestia c-nigrum (Linnaeus, 1758), Agrotis exclamationis (Linnaeus, 1758) and A. segetum ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775). Within the  group of dismigrators, the subgroup of interesting species worth watching for, we captured: Mamestra brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758) and Cucullia absinthii (Linnaeus, 1761).

This work includes the number of moths caught in each year for all the species given.  The seasonal dynamic is established for 57 species. The majority of the species were most numerous in the year 1997. This year according to the average month temperatures and the monthly sprinkles belongs to the group of average ones. 

It was found that 17 species are 17 species have one generation a year, 27 species have two clearly distinguished generations. Another ten species are also supposed to have two generations per year. We assume that 4 species that appear in Sombor have three generations. The number of generations was not found in 58 species.

For some of the species, we checked the possibility of giving a long-term prognosis based on generation coefficient. We judge that the generation coefficient can not be used to estimate the prognosis of 7 species. On the contrary, it has been realized that it can be used for estimating the long-term population dynamics prognosis of 15 species. These species are: Deltote bankiana (Fabricius, 1775), Pseudeustrotia candidula ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775), Lacanobia suasa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Mythimna turca (Linnaeus, 1761), Mythimna albipuncta ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Mythimna vitellina (Hübner, [1808]), M. pallens (Linnaeus, 1758), Axylia putris (Linnaeus, 1761), Ochropleura plecta (Linnaeus, 1761), Xestia c-nigrum (Linnaeus, 1758), Agrotis exclamationis (Linnaeus, 1758) and A. segetum ([Denis & Schiffermüller],1775).

For the Eucarta virgo (Treitsche, 1835), Mamestra brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758) and Mythimna obsoleta (Hübner, [1803]), we suppose that the generation coefficient could be used but additional research is necessary in order to assure it.

A copy of this thesis is filed in the Library of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad. Original have: 125 pages, four drawings, one map, nine schemes, 106 grafs, 25 tables, five original photographs, original manuscript in Serbian with summary in Serbian, English and German.