CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GEOMETRIDAE (LEPIDOPTERA) FAUNA OF THE KOTOR VAROŠ AREA

Abstract

Biodiversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina is highly diverse and abundant, but it has been barely explored in the past century or even longer. The investigation of Geometridae in the Kotor Varoš area has been going on for more than ten years. This study provides a list of species from the aforementioned moth family along with their systematic affiliation. For the purposes of collecting, a 120W Hg (mercury vapor) lamp was used, along with a 3 x 2 m sheet, photographic equipment for macrophotography and a binocular microscope for the analysis of genitalia. In total 135 species have been confirmed, which have been further divided into four subfamilies: Sterrhinae (35), Larentiinae (43), Ennominae (48) and Geometrinae (9). Within those subfamilies, the species have been further divided according to tribes. The largest number of resident moth species has been recorded at the Baština site, where night surveying equipment was used. Some species have been discovered during the day not only at the same locality, but also at the other localities in the Kotor Varoš area. Long-term observations provided insights into seasonal activity and variation in species occurrence and abundance. Idaea Treitschke, 1825, Scopula Schrank, 1802 and Cyclophora Hübner, 1822 have the most common genera. Trichopteryx polycommata (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) represents the first record for the fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina.