Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 50 (1), pp. 1–8, 2004
Title: Area requirements of passerine birds in the reed archipelago of Lake Velence, Hungary
Author: A. Báldi
Author's address: Animal Ecology Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
and the Hungarian Natural History Museum
H-1083 Budapest, Ludovika tér 2, Hungary, E-mail: baldi@nhmus.hu
Abstract: I studied the area requirement of reedbed breeding passerine birds on 109 reed islands in Lake Velence, Hungary, in the breeding seasons of 1993 and 1994. The size of the smallest occupied reed island for the observed 8 passerine bird species varied from 0.02 ha (Savi"s Warbler Locustella luscinioides) to 4.14 ha (Bluethroat Luscinia svecica). Three species occupied reed islands which were 8–18 times larger than their territory sizes (Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, Moustached Warbler A. melanopogon, and Bluethroat), three species occurred on reed islands 4–4.5 times larger than territory sizes (Great Reed Warbler A. arundinaceus, Reed Warbler A. scirpaceus, and Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus), and two species occurred on islands half the size of their territory sizes in continuous reedbeds (Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus, Savi"s Warbler). This may suggest that the latter two species can utilise groups of small patches within a territory. The incidence functions showed that the probability of occurrence of the Moustached Warbler and the Bluethroat was not 1 even on the largest reed islands (7–25.7 ha), while it was 1 for the other 6 species. The importance of landscape matrix type in determining minimum area requirements was demonstrated using data on the occurrence of bird species in reed marshes within an agricultural landscape in the Po Plain (Italy). In this landscape much larger minimum areas were found than at Lake Velence.
Key words: incidence function, area sensitivity, edge effect, landscape matrix
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Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 50 (1), pp. 9–23,
2004 Title: Effects of leaf-litter addition on carabid beetles in a non-native Norway spruce plantation
Authors: Magura, T., Tóthmérész, B.* and Elek, Z.*
Authors' addresses: Hortobágy National Park Directorate, H-4002 Debrecen, P.O. Box
216, Hungary, Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Debrecen,
H-4010 Debrecen, P.O. Box 3, Hungary, E-mail: magura@www.hnp.hu Abstract: To study the short-term effect of leaf-litter manipulation on the
structure of carabid assemblage in a 50-year-old Norway spruce plantation
in Hungary, pitfall samples from leaf-litter plots (leaf-litter addition)
and control plots (no manipulation) were compared during the growing
season in 2000. The most frequent species, Pterostichus oblongopunctatus,
was significantly more numerous in the leaf-litter samples than in
the control ones, indicating the leaf-litter preference of this species.
Leaf-litter addition had no significant effect on the abundance of
the other four dominant carabid species (Carabus violaceus,
Cychrus caraboides, Abax parallelepipedus, Molops
piceus). Difference in the number of collected carabid individuals,
species richness and the Shannon diversity between the control and
the manipulated plots were not significant. The observed leaf-litter
preference of Pterostichus oblongopunctatus could be explained
with the microhabitat variations and/or the interspecific interactions.
Leaf-litter addition altered the microclimatic conditions (lower ground
temperature, higher amount of prey items) and produced favourable
microhabitat conditions that could influence the spatial distribution
of Pterostichus oblongopunctatus. Moreover, the number of carabid
larvae was significantly higher in the leaf-litter plots, indicating
that the leaf-litter plots with their favourable conditions may be
advantageous egg-laying sites.
Key words: carabid beetles, leaf-litter addition, habitat heterogeneity, spatial distribution, environmental conditions, interspecific interactions
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Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 50 (1), pp. 25–34,
2004 Title: Population genetics of Philaenus spumarius on the Istranca Mountains: II. Polymorphism and phenotype frequency
Author: S. Yurtsever
Author's address: Biology Department, Faculty of Arts & Science, Trakya University, 22030 Edirne, Turkey, E-mail: s.yrts@trakya.edu.tr
Abstract: Genetically controlled colour polymorphism of the meadow spittlebug Philaenus spumarius in the populations of the Istranca Mountains
was investigated. A total of 7,544 spittlebugs, 2,936 females and
4,608 males collected from three different types of deciduous forest
were analysed. Four non-melanic – populi (POP), typicus
(TYP), trilineatus (TRI), vittatus (VIT), – and four melanic
– marginellus (MAR), lateralis (LAT), flavicollis
(FLA), leucocephalus (LCE) – phenotypes expressed by six
different alleles were determined. Melanic phenotypes were limited
to the female sex only, moreover the melanic "O" group was
not found in the 29 different populations sampled. POP+TYP were predominant
phenotypes in the pooled samples (94%). The combined melanics and
TRI+VIT were present at equal proportions (3% each). The average sample
size for 40 sampling sessions was (Mean±S.E.) 187.1±14.3
(range: 31–361).
Key words: polymorphism, melanism, Homoptera, Philaenus spumarius, Turkey
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Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 50 (1), pp. 35–44,
2004 Title: Dominance hierarchy and status signalling in captive tree sparrow (Passer montanus) flocks
Authors: Torda, G.1,2, Liker, A.1,3 and Barta, Z.4
Authors' addresses: 1Behavioural Biology Research Group, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences Szent István University,
H-1400 Budapest, Pf. 2, Hungary, Abstract: Although the tree sparrow (Passer montanus) is a widespread species, its social behaviour in winter flocks is poorly known. In
this study, we investigated whether (1) flock members form dominance
hierarchies in their winter flocks, and (2) whether the size of the
black throat patch (the "badge") of birds is correlated
with their dominance ranks, i.e. may have a status signal function.
We found that tree sparrows formed linear dominance hierarchies in
two of the three captive flocks we studied. The dominance rank of
birds was positively correlated with their aggressiveness during feeding,
i.e. high ranking birds initiated a higher proportion of their aggressive
interactions than subordinates. Our results do not support unambiguously
the status signalling function of the badge. On the one hand, badge
size was the only significant predictor of dominance rank in one flock.
In this flock, fighting frequency increased with increasing similarity
of badge sizes and fights were especially common when both opponents
had large badges. On the other hand, dominance rank was unrelated
to badge sizes in the other two flocks. We suggest some factors that
may contribute to the observed differences among flocks in the association
between badge size and dominance rank.
Key words: tree sparrow, Passer montanus, badge size, dominance hierarchy, status signalling
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Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 50 (1), pp. 45–53,
2004 Title: Immoderatus gen. n. of Copromyzinae (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae)
Author: L. Papp
Author's address: Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, H-1431 Budapest, Pf. 137, Baross utca 13, Hungary, e-mail: lpapp@zoo.zoo.nhmus.hu
Abstract: A new genus of Copromyzinae, Immoderatus gen. n. (type species I. foldvarii sp. n.), is described from elephant dung from
the Oriental region (Thailand). With 17 original figures.
Key words: Sphaeroceridae, Copromyzinae, Immoderatus gen. n., taxonomy, Oriental Region
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Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 50 (1), pp. 55–62,
2004 Title: Bolitophilidae (Diptera) from Taiwan: A family new to the Oriental region
Authors: Sevcík, J. and Papp, L.
Authors' addresses: Silesian Museum, Department of Entomology, Masarykova 35, CZ-746 46 Opava, Czech Republic, E-mail: sevcikjan@hotmail.com Abstract: Two new species of Bolitophilidae, Bolitophila (B.) antennata sp. n. and Bolitophila (Cliopisa) taihybrida sp. n., are
described from Taiwan. Bolitophila (B.) japonica (Okada,
1934), previously known only from Japan, is recorded from Taiwan and
redescribed. The family Bolitophilidae is for the first time recorded
from the Oriental region.
Key words: Bolitophilidae, Sciaroidea, Bolitophila, fungus gnats, new species, taxonomy, zoogeography, Taiwan, Oriental region
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Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 50 (1), pp. 63–74,
2004 Title: Review of the Palaearctic species of Dirhinosia Rebel, 1905 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae)
Authors: Z. Tokár & L. Gozmány*
Authors' addresses: Hollého 78/10, SK-07101 Michalovce, Slovak Republic, E-mail: ztokar@post.sk Abstract: The four Palaearctic species of the gelechiid genus Dirhinosia Rebel, 1905 are reviewed. D. trifasciella Rebel,
1905 syn. n. is regarded as a junior synonym of D. cervinella
(Eversmann, 1844). With figures of adults, male and female genitalia.
Key words: Dirhinosia, Gelechiidae, taxonomy, synonymy, Europe, Palaearctic
*Department of Ecology, University of Debrecen, H-4010 Debrecen, P.O.
Box 71, Hungary
2Present address: Departamento de Biología, Universidad
de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35001 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria, Spain
3Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Veszprém,
H-8201 Veszprém, Pf. 158, Hungary, E-mail: aliker@almos.vein.hu
4Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary
Zoology and Human Biology University of Debrecen, H-4010 Debrecen, Pf. 3, Hungary. E-mail: zbarta@delfin.klte.hu
Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum,
H-1088 Budapest, Baross u. 13, Hungary, E-mail: lpapp@zoo.zoo.nhmus.hu
*Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, H-1088 Budapest, Baross u. 13, Hungary