Hungarian Natural History Museum Research Articles

The wing phalanges (phalanx proximalis digiti majoris) of Gaviiformes, Podicipediformes, Pelecaniformes, Ardeiformes, Anseriformes, Gruiformes, Ralliformes, Charadriiformes and Galliformes

Abstract The authors compared the first phalanx of the second wing-finger of 93 species belong to 9 order (Gaviiformes – 2 species, Podicipediformes – 4 species, Pelecaniformes – 4 species, Ardeiformes – 12 species, Anseriformes – 27 species, Gruiformes – 4 species, Ralliformes – 6 species, Charadriiformes – 25 species and Galliformes – 9 species). The importance of studying this bone lies in the fact that, although it has diagnosable characteristics, it was practically neglected by osteologists and paleontologists. Thus, fossil materials can be identified through them, as well as those from owl pellets. The comparison was made possible by the comparative avian skeleton collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. The text is supplemented by 10 figures and 1 table.

Korok és Kórok kiállítás 2019-2020

The HNM Semmelweis Museum of Medical History's exhibition „Diseases for the Ages, What the Deceased Tell Us”, is displaying the anthropological collection of the Museum which never was presented earlier, and the mummy-research made in the framework of the Nephthys Project, with some additional material from the Hungarian Natural History Museum and the Hopp Ferenc Asian Art Museum. Visitors can learn about the appearance of known and little-known diseases visible on archaeological human remains and gain insight into the know-how and the results of the mummy research. The exhibition is accompanied by a museum educational program and a series of lectures.

Garden, culture, dendrology – remarks and thoughts following the unexpected passing away of Géza Kósa

This writing commemorates Géza Kósa (1950–2021), dendrologist and Curator of the Botanical Garden of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (recently renamed the National Botanic Garden) and discusses his 45-year cooperation with both his institute and the Hungarian Natural History Museum’s team of dendrologists (Zsolt Debreczy, Gyöngyvér Biró, István Rácz and co-workers) and their International Dendrological Research Institute, Inc. (IDRI) in the US and its sister organisation in Hungary, the International Dendrological Foundation. The author recalls many aspects of cooperation with Géza Kósa, including some of their joint research trips to Mongolia, China, Uzbekistan, and Sikkim, as well as the multi-year documentation of the living dendrological collection at Vácrátót. Also discussed is the great need to establish a regional dendrological institute in Hungary.

Tracking disappeared species III. Occurrence of Coleophora absinthii Wocke, 1877 in Hungary (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae)

Coleophora absinthii Wocke, 1877 is represented in the Hungarian Natural History Museum by only one voucher specimen from Hungary. The species was collected for the first time in 1952 from Hungary but, in spite of several publications reporting it as a frequent species, no specimen of C. absinthii has been deposited in the museum since its first record. We found the species between 2018 and 2020 in six new Hungarian localities. The tubular case, the case made of flowers, the adult, the genitalia and the distribution map of the species are presented.

In memoriam Dr Ágnes Révay (1952–2018)

Dr Ágnes Révay (1952–2018) a respected mycologist, the curator of the microscopic fungi collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum was interested predominantly in floristics, taxonomy and ecology of the Hungarian microscopic fungi, especially the dematiaceous and aquatic hyphomycetes, stauro- and scolecosporous fungi and myxomycetes. More than 70 scientific papers, her revisions and collections, the four new genera (Gorgomyces, Hyalocamposporium, Hydrometrospora, Tulipispora) and the 15 new species described by her, and the species Retiarius revayae named after her preserve her memories.

In memoriam Klára Verseghy (1930–2020)

Dr Klára Verseghy (1930–2020), a student of the famous Hungarian lichenologist Ödön Szatala, was working as the curator of the lichen collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest between 1958 and 1985. She did a great development in the lichen herbarium arranging and registering the big collections of F. Fóriss, V. Gyelnik and Ö. Szatala in the Zahlbruckner’s system. Separating the type specimens she prepared also the type catalogue of the lichen collection in 1964. Approximately 5,000 lichen specimens were collected by herself in several areas of Hungary (e.g. Bakony Mts, Hortobágy, Kiskunság, Praenoricum, Vendvidék, Villány Mts, Zemplén Mts) and ca 1,500 specimens from other countries (e.g. Finland, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey and Ukraine). She published more than a hundred scientific and popular papers mainly on floristics, taxonomy, plant physiology and bioindication. Altogether 46 new taxa (19 species, 27 varieties and forms) and 69 new combinations were described by her. Following her taxonomic revisions (Caloplaca, Gasparrinia, Ochrolechia, Squamaria, Squamarina spp.) and floristical studies she prepared her main work “Magyarország zuzmóflórájának kézikönyve (The handbook of the Hungarian lichen flora)” in 1994. Her publications (106, including 23 in popular subject), her revisions and thousands of lichen specimens, the genus Verseghya and two species, Verseghya klarae and Verseghya thysanophora named after her preserve her memories.

Studies on the genus Ripersiella Tinsley (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Rhizoecidae) in the Neotropical region, with description of a new species

The Neotropical scale insect genusRipersiellaTinsley(Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Rhizoecidae) was investigated, based on soil samples deposited at the Hungarian Natural History Museum. Description and illustration of a new species,Ripersiella incarumKaydan Szitasp. n., and an identification key and new additional locality records for the currently knownRipersiellaspecies in the Neotropical region, are provided and discussed.

Biosztratigráfiai és gerinctelen őslénytani kutatások a kárpát-pannon térségben

A Kárpát–Pannon-térség makroszkópikus méretű gerinctelen ősmaradványainak kutatása gazdag tudományos ismeretanyagot szolgáltatott az elmúlt mintegy másfél évszázadban. A legtöbbet tanulmányozott ősmaradványcsoport a puhatestűek voltak, a mezozoikumban leginkább az ammoniteszek, a kainozoikumban pedig a kagylók és a csigák. A legjobban megkutatott terület a Dunántúli-középhegység, azon belül pedig a Bakony, amely bizonyos korokban és ősmaradványcsoportokban világviszonylatban is kiemelkedő gazdagságú anyagot adott. A magyarországi őslénytani kutatást számos kiemelkedő egyéni teljesítmény: sokat forgatott és idézett monográfiák, rétegtani értelmezések, az adott terület geológiai fejlődését és az adott kor élővilágának fejlődését új megvilágításba helyező tanulmányok fémjelzik. Ezek mellett voltak olyan kutatócsoportok és többgenerációs tudományos iskolák, amelyek tartósan vagy ismétlődően kiemelkedően magas színvonalú, külföldön is elismert eredményeket produkáltak bizonyos kutatási területeken. Ilyen volt a Balaton-felvidéki triász kutatása, a dunántúli-középhegységi és mecseki jura kutatása, a Paratethys-tenger oligocénjének, azaz a kiscelli és egri emeletnek az őslénytani kutatása, és a késő miocén–pliocén Pannon-tó élővilágának és üledékeinek, azaz a pannóniai emeletnek a kutatása. Dolgozatunk a 150 éves fennállását ünneplő Földtani Közlöny ünnepi évfolyamában megjelenő cikkek sorához kapcsolódva, geológiai időrend szerint veszi leltárba – a teljesség igénye nélkül – a Kárpát–Pannon-térségben született legfontosabb gerinctelen őslénytani eredményeket – amelyeknek egy jelentős része éppen ebben a folyóiratban jelent meg.

Salticidae (Arachnida, Araneae) of Thailand: new species and records of Epeus Peckham & Peckham, 1886 and Ptocasius Simon, 1885.

The study is based on new material from the collections of the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre in Leiden (RNHM) and the Hungarian Natural History Museum (HNHM) and addresses issues in two genera: Epeus Peckham & Peckham, 1886 and Ptocasius Simon, 1885 from Thailand. Both genera are of Asian/Indomalayan origin, the latter with a diversity hotspot in the subtropical valleys of the Himalayas. Based on morphological data, we propose three new species of Epeus (Epeus daiqini sp. nov. (♂♀), Epeus pallidus sp. nov. (♀), Epeus szirakii sp. nov. (♀)) and two new species of Ptacasius (Ptocasius metzneri sp. nov. (♂♀) and Ptocasius sakaerat sp. nov. (♀)). Additionally, we redescribed E. tener (Simon, 1877) and added photographs of morphological characters. The genus Ptocasius is redefined due to the inclusion of 37 species, previously included in Yaginumaella Prószyński, 1979. Relationships and distribution of both genera are discussed in reference to molecular, morphological and distributional data, published by other authors in recent years.

Leucapamea srnkai sp. n., a new Apameini species from China(Lepidoptera, Noctuidae).

The genus Leucapamea was erected by Sugi (1982). The most recent revision of the genus was provided by Zilli et al. (2009), and include descriptions of five new species. Leucapamea species are diagnosed by the whitish ground colour of forewings and the very long, sword-like superior saccular process. Leucapamea is distinguished from the related genus Lateroligia Zilli, Fibiger Ronkay, 2005 by the triangular cucullus having only a slight ventral extremity and the presence of the strong cornutus in the vesica. Thirteen species of Leucapamea have been described (Zilli et al. 2009), four of which are endemic to Taiwan, two to Japan, and the other species distributed from the northern Pacific to Southern China and Vietnam. Following research in Sichuan during the last years, an additional species is described and diagnosed here.Abbreviations for personal and institutional collections used herein are as follows: AFM = Alessandro Floriani (Milan, Italy); ASV = Aidas Saldaitis (Vilnius, Lithuania); HNHM = Hungarian Natural History Museum (Budapest, Hungary); PGM = collection of Péter Gyulai (Miskolc, Hungary); GYP = genitalia slide of P. Gyulai; RL = genitalia slide of L. Ronkay.

Orthoptera of Montenegro: new faunistic data with new records for the country

Summary Grasshoppers and crickets of Montenegro have never been systematically studied. In this paper we present new distribution records of 119 Orthoptera species from Montenegro, sampled at 116 localities in different parts of the country in the period between 2010 and 2017. We also present records of older material deposited in the collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest. Oecanthus dulcisonans Gorochov, 1993 is recorded for the first time in Montenegro. Most of the areas investigated in this paper were never studied before, so our data represent the first information on Orthoptera of these parts of Montenegro.

The tropical butterflies and skippers of Tobias Koy’s collection (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea)

The collection of Tobias Koy (1757–1829) includes the oldest Lepidoptera specimens preserved in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, originating from the turn of 18th and 19th centuries. These are kept in individual glassine trays. Several trays contain a specimen of exotic (non-European) species, as well as of species discovered in Europe after the death of Koy. We assume that trays containing specimens with these two kinds of origin were arranged by Imre Frivaldszky, so as to display the most valuable peculiarities of Koy’s collection. Twelve exotic specimens are listed and characterised. The 150th anniversary of the death of Imre Frivaldszky gives the special actuality of this paper. With 17 figures.

Interspecific competition between two self-fertile and one related sexual species of tadpole shrimp Triops (Branchiopoda, Notostraca) with reproductive interference, Allee effect and environmental fluctuation

Invasive alien species of tadpole shrimp Triops, originated from America, were first introduced into rice fields of Japan in the 1910s and have spread around Japan. In the 1950s, a European species of Triops also seems to have entered Japan. Originally, Japanese paddy fields had Asian Triops species as a prehistoric naturalised animal. A new invasive Triops from Western Australia has been reported in the south part of Japan, occasionally forming mixed populations. The expansion of Triops has resulted in negative ecological and potential economic impact. Longhursts revision did not contain any specimens of the richest collection in the world, i.e., Daday Collection in the Hungarian Natural History Museum. And therefore, Naganawa surveyed at least 20 times as many samples as those by Longhurst, and number the named Triops granarius s.l. species group from Africa-India to Siberia-Asia at eight species, organised in the same genus. As for the establishment or extinction patterns, based on Tilmans competition model, we built a simple mathematical competition model between two self-fertile and one related sexual species of Japan, incorporating reproductive interference. To make the mathematical model more natural, we also assumed environmental fluctuation and Allee effect, which reduces the population growth rate of sexual species with low density. Intense reproductive interference drove the competition to sexual exclusion of self-fertile species. However, even under intense reproductive interference, Allee effect allowed self-fertile species to survive when the competition started with the lower densities; contrary to the survival of sexual species when the competition started with the higher densities.

First record of Spodoptera littoralis in Hungary (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Three larvae of the noctuid moth Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval, 1833) have been found in Kistarcsa, Central Hungary in August, 2020. One caterpillar developed to adult stage, it is deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest. This is the first record of this Afrotropical and subtropical species in Hungary. With 4 figures.

First record of Phyllocnistis citrella in Hungary, a micromoth species pest on Citrus (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)

Several larvae of Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton, 1856 were found mining in lemon leaves in Kistarcsa, Central Hungary. Seven specimens emerged in August 2020. They are deposited as vouchers in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest. These are the first records of the species occurring in Hungary. With 3 figures.

Dyscia innocentaria (Christoph, 1885) in the Pannonian Region (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae)

Dyscia innocentaria (Christoph, 1885) is reported from the Pannonian Region for the first time: altogether 16 specimens were found in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, collected in Deliblát (Deliblato Sands, Serbia) in 1895 and the 1910s by Hungarian lepidopterists. These are the oldest known D. innocentaria specimens from Serbia. With 7 figures.

Felső-Tisza-vidéki, rangos, honfoglaló férfi szobrászi arcrekonstrukciója a tuzséri temetőből

The mature age individual excavated from the Tomb 6 of Tuzsér-Boszorkány-hegy cemetery, was a member of the prestigious Hungarian conquering communities in the Upper Tisza region. He was a taxonomically mixed European and Mongolian type. On the top of his predominantly Europid Pamirian skull, two symbolic trepanations were also visible. His paternal genetic line links him to the “Yakut subgroup”, within it was classified in the Turkic-conquering cluster, whose origin dates back to the Asian Hun era.
 The facial reconstruction of the Tuzsér conqueror was done at the Hungarian Natural History Museum on a 3D plastic skull copy of the original skull. Using the sculptural anatomical method the thickness of the soft parts of the face was estimated based on a scientific data table. Each detail of the face was shaped according to the morphological correlations of the skull bones and soft tissues. The reconstructed facial features have a predominantly Europid appearance, but also faithfully reflect the mixed, Europid and Mongolian characteristics of the skull.

Plagiothecium platyphyllum (Bryophyta), a rare species in Hungary

All specimens deposited under the name Plagiothecium platyphyllum Moenk. in the bryophyte herbarium of the Hungarian Natural History Museum in Budapest (BP) were revised, along with some recent collections of the authors. As a result of this revision a majority of the specimens was found to belong to other species, and only ca 10% could be confirmed as P. platyphyllum, originating from eight locations, with recent collections from two sites only. The amended distribution of the species is mapped according to the Central European Mapping Scheme, and the corresponding specimens are cited in detail. The habitat of the Hungarian occurrences is characterised and compared to the literature. The morphological features of P. platyphyllum are described and illustrated by photographs, and the characters distinguishing this species from related taxa are discussed. We include an analytical key for the Hungarian species of the genus Plagiothecium.

Rediscovery of the type specimen of Hadronotus montanus Kieffer, 1906 (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae)

ABSTRACT The holotype of Hadronotus montanus Kieffer 1906 was discovered in the collection of Hungarian Natural History Museum (Budapest). This species is transferred in Calotelea Westwood, re-described and illustrated.

Pteruchus (microsporophyll): part 2 of a reassessment of Gondwana Triassic plant genera and a reclassification of some previously attributed

Anderson, H.M., Barbacka, M., Bamford, M.K., Holmes, W.B.K. & Anderson, J.M., 3 July 2019. Pteruchus (microsporophyll): part 2 of a reassessment of Gondwana Triassic plant genera and a reclassification of some attributed previously. Alcheringa XXX, X–X. ISSN 0311-5518The microsporophyll genus Pteruchus, belonging to the pteridosperms (seed ferns) in the family Umkomasiaceae (Corystospermaceae), is reassessed comprehensively worldwide and emended. All records are analysed, and some fertile structures previously attributed are reclassified. The Lower Jurassic record of Pteruchus from Germany is ascribed to a new genus as Muelkirchium septentrionalis. Pteruchus is shown to be restricted to the Triassic of Gondwana and is clearly affiliated with the megasporophyll genus Umkomasia and the vegetative leaf genus Dicroidium. It is well represented from Argentina, Antarctica, Australia and southern Africa; the Molteno Formation of southern Africa is by far the most comprehensively sampled, yielding three species and 425 specimens from 22 localities. Nomenclatural problems with the species of Pteruchus are addressed. A key to Pteruchus species is provided; geographic and stratigraphic distributions are tabulated.Heidi M. Anderson [hmsholmes@googlemail.com], Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 20150, South Africa; Maria Barbacka [mariabarbacka@gmail.com], W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, 31-512 Kraków, Poland; Hungarian Natural History Museum, Botanical Department, H-1431 Budapest, Pf. 137, Hungary; Marion K. Bamford [marionbamford@witsacza], Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 20150, South Africa; W.B. Keith Holmes* [wbkholmes@hotmail.com], 46 Kurrajong Street, Dorrigo, NSW 2453, Australia; John M. Anderson [jmandersongondwana@googlemail.com], Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 20150, South Africa. *Also affiliated with: University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.