The Zygaenidae fauna of the Thrace Region (European Turkey) was studied by using attractant traps as well as by netting specimens in biotopes. Esters of 2-dodecenoic acid and stereoisomers of 2-butanol were used as sex attractants. Sixteen Zygaenidae species from five genera were found: Theresimima Strand, 1917 (1 species), Rhagades Wallengren, 1863 (2 species), Adscita Retzius, 1783 (3 species), Jordanita Verity, 1946 (4 species), and Zygaena Fabricius, 1775 (6 species). Rhagades (Rhagades) pruni (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) and Jordanita (Jordanita) globulariae (Hübner, 1793) were found as new for Turkey. The two species of the same genus Rh. (Rh.) pruni and Rh. (Wiegelia) amasina (Herrich-Schӓffer, 1851) were discovered in proximity to each other in different localities of the same Province Tekirdağ.

Food plant preferences of some Lepidoptera species associated with particular colour of the flowers were investigated. Based on 1,329 field observations of 43 Lepidoptera and 66 plant species, Lepidoptera showed a high tendency (G-test, G adj = 698.6, df = 6, P < 0.001) to use the yellow (29%) and pink (28%) coloured flowers for foraging. Compared to the other colours it was evident that plants with red flowers (2%) were not preferred. Moreover, the plants with red (H = 0.435) and yellow-white (H = 0.543) flowers were not visited by diverse Lepidoptera species. Although yellow and pink flowers were most frequently visited, the highest degrees of the Lepidoptera diversity values were associated with the plants having blue (H = 0.647) and purple (H = 0.634) flowers. Species of Nymphalidae were most numerous (14 spp.) in the study area and the members of this family were observed 430 times on 39 different plant species, but never on plants with red flowers. Pieris rapae was the most abundant species that occurred 136 times on a total of 21 different plant species of which eight had yellow flowers. But, this species has never been seen while feeding on red flowers.

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A checklist with synonyms, distributions, larval foodplants, and parasitoid data for the European Turkish geometrid moths is presented. The checklist includes both published and previously unpublished faunistic information. In total, 200 species are reported for the region. Seventeen new species are tabulated for the fauna of European Turkey: Charissa ambiguata (Duponchel, 1830); Eumannia oppositaria Mann, 1864; Neognopharmia stevenaria Boisduval, 1849; Alsophila aceraria (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775); A. aescularia (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775); Thetidia smaragdaria (Fabricius, 1787); Cleta filacearia (Herrich-Schäffer, 1847); Idaea circuitaria (Hübner, 1819); Costaconvexa polygrammata (Borkhausen, 1794); Eupithecia extremata (Fabricius, 1787); E. insigniata (Hübner, 1790); E. silenicolata Mabille, 1867; E. subfuscata (Haworth, 1809); E. venosata (Fabricius, 1787); Orthonama vittata (Borkhausen, 1794); Rheumaptera cervinalis Scopoli, 1763; and Scotopteryx luridata (Hufnagel, 1767). Three species are new for the geometrid fauna of Turkey: Idaea muricata (Hufnagel, 1767); Scopula floslactata (Haworth, 1809) and Pasiphila chloerata (Mabille, 1870). Erroneous data for Rhodostrophia calabra (Petagna, 1786); Timandra griseata (W. Petersen, 1902), Pasiphila debiliata (Hübner, 1817), and Nychiodes dalmatina Wagner, 1909, given by Okyar & Aktaç (1999) are corrected respectively under the entries for R. discopunctata (Amsel, 1935), T. comae (Schmidt, 1931), P. chloreata (Mabille, 1870), N. waltheri Wagner, 1919.

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