Entomologist's Gazette - Vol. 72, No. 2, 2021

Published: 4/30/2020

Article Details for this issue

The entomology of the veteran beech tree (Fagus sylvatica L.) at Kemerton Court, Worcestershire, England

By: PAUL F. WHITEHEAD

Page: 67–84

Type: Paper

Synopsis:
The entomofauna of a veteran beech tree Fagus sylvatica L. in Kemerton civil parish (CP) in Watsonian East Gloucestershire VC33 was studied at widely spaced intervals for 22 years prior to its collapse during 2018. The richness of the entomofauna which demonstrates links with regional Urwald is remarkable given the position of the tree within the curtilage of a settlement and as a support system for Urwaldtier it was probably the best-endowed beech tree in the region. Elements of this fauna have clear affinities both with those of the Bredon Hill escarpment and with the primary river valleys. Key species are discussed and the importance of veteran ash as an agent of biotic continuity is confirmed.

On the biology of Pyrausta purpuralis (Linnaeus, 1758) and its comparison with Pyrausta ostrinalis (Hübner, 1793) and Pyrausta aurata (Scopoli, 1763) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

By: R. J. HECKFORD & S. D. BEAVAN

Page: 85–118

Type: Paper

Synopsis:
An account is given of finding the larva of Pyrausta purpuralis (Linnaeus, 1758) in the British Isles feeding on Prunella vulgaris L. British literature gives Mentha arvensis L. and Thymus spp. as the foodplants apart from a citation of Prunella vulgaris in 1904 that seems to have been overlooked, except for being included as one of several foodplants in mainland European publications in 2012 and 2013. We discuss whether Prunella vulgaris may be the main, if not only, foodplant of Pyrausta purpuralis, at least in the British Isles. Descriptions and illustrations are provided of the larvae of Pyrausta purpuralis and the similar species of P. ostrinalis (Hübner, 1796) and P. aurata (Scopoli, 1763) whose foodplants are also considered.

Contribution to the knowledge of the butterfly diversity (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of Kosovo

By: TONI KOREN, DEJAN KULIJER, KAJA VUKOTIC & FERDIJE ZHUSHI-ETEMI

Page: 119–129

Type: Paper

Synopsis:
In terms of Rhopalocera diversity Kosovo is one of the least studied areas in Europe. During 2018 we visited Kosovo on several occasions and gathered a total of 500 records of 98 species of butterflies or 57% of the 171 species known from the area so far. While our survey was not systematic and most localities were visited only once, the data gathered provide an important addition to the butterfly diversity of Kosovo. During this survey some species of European importance such as Lycaena dispar and Euphydryas aurinia were observed, adding to the knowledge about their distribution in the region. 14 of the recorded species are listed in the Red book of the fauna of Kosovo while six are listed in the European Red list of butterflies.

BOOK REVIEW Life cycles of British and Irish Butterflies, by Peter Eeles

By: ADRIAN SPALDING

Page: 130

Type: Book Review

Diversity of Hesperiidae, Pieridae and Papilionidae Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea) in the mountain massif Shkoza in Kosovo

By: PAJTIM BYTYÇI, FERDIJE ZHUSHI-ETEMI, HAZIR ÇADRAKU, EDONA KABASHI-KASTRATI, NESADE MUJA-BAJRAKTARI & OSMAN FETOSHI

Page: 131–136

Type: Paper

Synopsis:
In this paper we present the results of a survey of three butterfly families: Hesperiidae, Pieridae and Papilionidae, in the Mountain massif Shkoza in central Kosovo, conducted from May to October 2016. Among 29 recorded butterfly species in this survey, 14 (48%) species belong to Pieridae, 10 (24%) to Hesperiidae and 4 (13.7%) to Papilionidae. Recorded species belong to five faunal elements according to Kudrna, Pennestorfer & Lux (2015) (KPS): 14 are Euro-Siberian (ES), 10 are Euro-Oriental (EO), two species are Mediterranean (EM), two are Holarctic (Hol) and one Boreo-Montane. Regarding the IUCN Red list status (van Swaay et al., 2010), three species Carcharodus floccifera (Zeller, 1847), Thymelicus acteon (Rottemburg, 1775) and Parnassius mnemosyne (Linnaeus, 1758) are Near Threatened (NT), while the other 27 are of Least Concern (LC). From our results we can conclude that the massif Shkoza has a well developed butterfly fauna, however further research is needed to have a complete picture of its diversity.

Determination by molecular analysis of the presence of nominate Papilio demoleus Linnaeus, 1758 (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) in Mediterranean Syria and of confirmed range expansion of this swallowtail species into Lebanon

By: EDDIE JOHN, MUDAR SALIMEH, ONAT BASBAY & MARTIN WIEMERS

Page: 137–146

Type: Paper

Synopsis:
By means of molecular analysis, we confirm nominotypical Papilio demoleus demoleus as the subspecies to have invaded and spread extensively throughout Syria’s major citrus-growing regions in the Mediterranean, in little over a year. We discuss the species’ range expansion in the Middle East, its discovery in Lebanon and its likely further spread along eastern, southern and northern coasts of the Mediterranean.