The Macrolepidoptera (Insecta) of Central Dobrogea (Romania)

Abstract

Abstract This study is a synthesis of the current knowledge regarding the Macrolepidoptera fauna from Central Dobrogea (south-eastern Romania) and it is based on the research done in the area since 2007. Most of the collecting has been done on salt steppes around the large lakes (sea lagoons) Razim (Razelm) and Sinoe (Histria, Plopu-Sarinasuf), but also in forested areas and rocky hills (Babadag Forest, Cheile Dobrogei, Gura Dobrogei, Cetatea Enisala etc.) from Central Dobrogea. The most remarkable results were obtained in the salt steppes (which have been very little studied before). From these areas, due to the research done in the last three years, three species of Noctuidae were published as new records for Romania: Cucullia argentina (Fabricius, 1787), Tarachidia candefacta (Hübner, [1831]) and Leucania punctosa (Treitschke, 1825). Furthermore, there have been found numerous very local and very rare species, which had previously been known in Romania based on very few individuals such as: Phyllodesma ilicifolia (Linnaeus, 1758), Hyles hippophaes (Esper, 1793), Dasycosa modesta (Staudinger, 1879), Megaspilates mundataria (Stoll, 1782), Idaea sericeata (Hübner, 1813), Paradrymonia vittata bulgarica de Freina, 1983, Grammodes bifasciata (Petagna, 1787), Symira dentinosa Freyer, 1839, Episema lederi Christoph, 1885, Saragossa siccanorum (Staudinger, 1870), Cardepia hartigi (Parenzan, 1981), Polia cherrug Rákosy & Wieser, 1997, Chersotis laeta macini Rákosy, Stangelmeier & Wieser, 1996, Chersotis fimbriola niculescui Rákosy, 1997, Diachrysia chryson deltaica Rákosy, 1996, Euxoa cos (Hübner, [1808]), Parocneria terebinthi (Freyer, 1838) etc. The species protected by Romanian and EU laws are commented. A total of 697 species of Macrolepidoptera from Central Dobrogea are listed. Ten species are new records for the fauna of Dobrogea and 237 species have been not reported previously in this geographical area.