A Mecsek Orthoptera faunájának jellegzetes vonásai

Abstract

The Mecsek Mts and the Villány Hills represent the most southern (low)mountain region of Hungary. Here 63 grasshopper species were detected (=51,6% of the total Hungarian Orthoptera fauna), however, several in Hungary elsewhere common species were not found. High percentage of some Mediterranean, Balkan and other, elsewhere in Hungary rare or missing Orthoptera species (as e.g. Poecilimon fussi, Poecilimon intermedius, Isophya costata, I. modestior, I. modesta, I. camptoxypha, Sagapedo, Odontopodisma decipiens, O. schmidtii, Aiolopus strepens, Acrotylus insubricus, etc.), are characteristic to this fauna and to these grasshopper assemblages. The joint and frequent occurrence of bigger, mostly predaceous decticines (3 Pholidoptera spp., Pachytrachis gracilis, Pterolepis germanica) is also remarkable. Species being under legislative nature protection in Hungary amounted to 10 taxons (=15,9 %) in the Mecsek, - among them with two sub-endemics for the Carpathian Basin: Isophya costata and /. camptoxypha. However, during the last decades some flightless phaneropterids (/. modesta, I. camptoxypha, I. modestior) seem to have suffered local extiction around settlements due to the urbanization pressure. Species occurring in the Mecsek Mts were classified according to their phenology. The northernmost sites of the area of Aiolopus strepens - the adults overwinter - were detected in the Mecsek. Places of occurrence of rare and protected species {Isophya spp., Poecilimon intermedius, Aiolopus strepens) are endangered by habitat destruction, especially around the city Pécs, that is extending to parts of the southern slopes of the Misina Mt (535 m).