The Lepidoptera of Bucharest and its Surroundings (Romania)

Abstract

This study presents a synthesis of the current knowledge regarding the Lepidoptera fauna of Bucharest and the surrounding areas within a distance up to 50 kilometers around the Romanian capital. Data about the fauna composition are presented: the results of the research work beginning with the end of the 19 th century, as well the results of the research work carried out in the last 15 years. The research initiated and done by the author himself, led to the identification of 180 species which were unknown in the past. Even if the natural habitats from this region have undergone through radical changes in the 20 th century, the area still preserves a quite rich and interesting Lepidoptera fauna. The forests provide shelter to rich populations of the hawk moth Dolbina elegans A. Bang-Haas, 1912, one of the rarest Sphingidae in Europe, and some other species with high faunistical and zoogeographical value as: Noctua haywardi (Tams, 1926) (it is new record for the Romanian fauna from this area), Catocala dilecta (Hübner, 1808), Tarachidia candefacta (Hübner, [1831]), Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esper, [1789]), Aedia leucomelas (Linnaeus, 1758), and Hecatera cappa (Hübner, [1809]). We also present and discuss the current status of the protected Lepidoptera species from the surroundings of the Romanian capital for the first time.Résumé. Ce travail représente une synthèse des connaissances actuelles concernant la faune de lépidoptères de Bucarest et de ses zones limitrophes sur un rayon de 50 km autour de la capitale de la Roumanie. On présente toutes les données sur la composition de la faune de lépidoptères publiées à partir de la fin du XIX-ème siècle, ainsi que les résultats des dernières 15 années. Les recherches faites par l'auteur après 1966 ajoutent 180 nouvelles espèces pour la région. Bien que le cadre naturel de cette région ait été radicalement changé au cours du XX-ème siècle, elle conserve une assez riche et intéressante faune. Les forets abrîtent de nombreux exemplaires du sfingide Dolbina elegans A. Bang-Haas, 1912, l'une des plus rares espèces de sfingide de l'Europe, ainsi que d'autres espèces de valeur faunistique et zoogéographique comme Noctua haywardi (Tams, 1926) (signalée de cette zone comme nouvelle pour la faune de Roumanie), Catocala dilecta (Hübner, 1808), Tarachidia candefacta (Hübner, [1831]), Chrysodeixix chalcites (Esper, [1789]), Aedia leucomelas (Linnaeus, 1758) et Hecatera cappa (Hübner, [1809]). On présente pour la première fois la situation actuelle des espèces protégées par la législation européenne et nationale de la zone de la capitale roumaine.

Contributions to the knowledge of the Lepidoptera of Vlăsia Plain (Muntenia, Romania)

“…These two species had not been seen from these areas since the beginning of the 20th century and were considered extinct from here (Popescu-Gorj 1964, Rákosy 2013). There are a few even more recent records of L. achine from 1997 to 2004 reported from this area by Székely (2011) and at least one more record of Z. polyxena from Târgovişte in 1987 (personal observation). We documented the occurrence of Brintesia circe (Fabricius, 1775) in Argeş, a species which had a questionable presence in the area (Rákosy 2013).…”

“…These laid the groundwork for the current knowledge of the lepidoptera fauna of Bucureşti and its surroundings. Unfortunately, this activity came to a halt in the mid-1960s and was not resumed until the late 1990s, with the work of Székely (1998Székely ( , 2002Székely ( , and 2011. The present study, which primarily documents species collected from 1979 to 1982, attempts to fill this 30year gap in the monitoring of lepidoptera populations of Bucureşti and its surroundings.…”