Population trends of Finnish Lepidoptera during 1961-1996

Based on a query and on a literature review, the population trends of Finnish Lepidoptera since Kaisila's (1962) thorough overview are analysed. Changes in the belt of three coastal biogeographical provinces (V-EK) show significant correlations with those in three inland provinces (St-ES). Furthermore, positive trends in these belts are reflected as new provincial finds north of them. The spatial synchrony is supposedly caused by spatially conelated climatic conditions. This is supported by evidence of synchronous trends in species grouped according to their overwintering stages (Marttila 1991, Bruun 1992). The increased migration rate, indicated by the new provincial finds, is probably a consequence of high population densities, and does not explain the synchrony itself. Kaisila's division into expansive and fluctuant species is considered to be a historical rather than a biological characterization. During the 19th century, the reporting of new lepidopteran species was delayed by about 50 years if they were night-active vs. day-active. The low numbers of observers and slow development of collecting methods have caused further analytical uncertainties. Some of Kaisila's expansive species may actually have been inhabitants of Finland for long periods of time. At present, drainage of peatlands and overgrowth of meadows are the most adverse environmental changes causing a decline of lepidopterans, particularly of the butterflies. Increase of bushiness and reeds appear to have positively affected many geometrid and noctuid species. The high incidence of new provincial finds and of species new to the country in the 1990s as well as positive trends in late-autumn and early-spring species supposedly reflect the ongoing climatic change. The Finnish lepidopteran fauna is undergoing a dynamic phase: around 30 recent invaders and 40 older expansive species are spreading, while fewer are retreating; the declining species are mainly habitat specialists while the expansive ones are generalists, mainly feeding on bushes and trees. Fewer expansions are evident among micro- than macrolepidopterans

Red Admirals Vanessa atalanta (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) select northern winds on southward migration

In the autumn periods of 1994–2001, the migrations of the Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (L.) were recorded from the Porkkala Bird Tower, 35 km SW of Helsinki, Finland. By far the best year was 1998, when 1240 migrant V. atalanta were counted. Generalized to a 100-km strip, this would mean a minimum of half a million butterflies. Radar observations indicated that a large proportion may have migrated above the visible range. The migrations took place on sunny days with cool northern winds (down to +10–13 °C). On warmer days with southern winds, V. atalanta individuals were stationary in the terrain. Other species observed to migrate south in the same way, but in much lower numbers, included Vanessa cardui (L.), Pieris brassicae (L.) and Autographa gamma (L.). These records help to resolve the “evolutionary puzzle” of why migrant butterflies and moths travel to northern latitudes when their offspring have such limited possibilities of returning to the south. Until now, the only butterfly for which high-elevation return migrations in northern winds have been known has been the American Monarch Danaus plexippus (L.). The mechanics of the flights, the migratory behaviour and their evolutionary significance are discussed in light of the literature

Taxonomical characters of Selidosema plumarium and S. brunnearium (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae) and the function of the internal genitalia during copulation

The genitalia of the Palaearctic species pair, Selidosema plumarium (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) and S. brunnearium (Villers, 1789), are described and illustrated. Keys to the species, based on male and female genitalia, particularly on the internal parts, are presented. Based on indirect evidence, an hypothesis of the functional anatomy of the internal genitalia, i.e. the disappearance of a distinctive ventral angle at the anterior end of the female ductus bursae during copulation, is presented and discussed. The hypothesized functions are compared to the geometrid genus Eupithecia Curtis. Contrary to the earlier held view, it is confirmed that only Selidosema brunnearium is recorded from Finland, from the years 1969 (one specimen) and 1999 (two specimens)

Apamea yunnana sp. n. (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) from northern Yunnan, China

A new noctuid species, Apamea yunnana sp. n. is described from the yunnan Province, S China. The moth is superficially similar to A. ferrago (Eversmann) and to the recently described A. nekrasovi Mikkola, Varga & Guylai but differs from these in the details of the forewing pattern and more so in the structure of genitalia. The adult and the male genitalia of the new species are illustrated

Morphological and molecular taxonomy of Dendrolimus sibiricus Chetverikov stat.rev. and allied lappet moths (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), with description of a new species

The populations of the well-known forest pest, Dendrolimus sibiricus Chetverikov, 1908 stat.rev., were sampled in the European foothills of the Ural Mountains, Russia. D. sibiricus is a species distinct from the Japanese taxon D. superans (Butler, 1877). Another taxon from the Southern Urals, taxonomically close to D. pini (Linnaeus), is described here as D. kilmez sp.n. The synthetic female pheromones prepared for D. pini and D. sibiricus attracted equally well all three taxa present, and thus cannot be used to identify these species. The Ural populations of D. sibiricus show differences in external appearance, and as already in the 1840s Eversmann indicated that the species had caused local forest damage, D. sibiricus must be a long-established species in the Ural area. Thus, natural spreading westward of the pest is not to be expected. The five Dendrolimus species of the northern Palaearctic and the male genitalia are illustrated, and the distinguishing characters are listed. Two Matsumura lectotypes are designated

Zoogeography of the Holarctic species of the Noctuidae (Lepidoptera): impoftance of the Beringian refuge

As a result of published and unpublished revisionary work, literature compilation and expeditions to the Beringian area, 98 species of the Noctuidae are listed as Holarctic and grouped according to their taxonomic and distributional history. Of the 44 species considered to be "naturally" Holarctic before this sttdy, 27 (61%) are confirmed as Holarctic; 16 species are added on account of range extensions and 29 because of changes in their taxonomic status; 17 taxa are deleted from the Holarctic list. This brings the total of the group to 72 species. Thirteen species are considered to be introduced by man from Europe, a further eight to have been transported by man in the subtropical areas, and five migrant species, three of them of Neotropical origin, may have been assisted by man. The majority of the "naturally" Holarctic species are associated with tundra habitats. The species of dry tundra are frequently endemic to Beringia. In the taiga zone, most Holarctic connections consist of Palaearctic/Nearctic species pairs. The proportion of Holarctic species decreases from 100% in the High Arctic to between 40  and 75% in Beringia and the northern taigazone, and from between 10 and 20% in Newfoundland and Finland to between 2 and 4% in southern Ontario, Central Europe, Spain and Primorye. Excluding the species supposedly introduced or assisted by man, all Holarctic species occur in the wider Beringian area (Pyrrhia exprimens (Wlk.) has been observed only in Kamchatka and Anaplectoides prasina (D. &. S.) near the southern border of the Yukon); 36/72 (50%) of the Holarctic species are circumpolar in distribution. The earlier view about Amphiatlantic distributions in the Lepidoptera is refuted. The origin of the Beringian fauna and the mammoth-steppe idea are discussed

Revision of the Xestia speciosa and X. alpicola complexes in Europe (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)

Xestia (Anomogyna) viridescens (Turati, 1919) stat. n. from the southern Alps is a species distinct from X. speciosa (Hi.ibner, 1813). The southern Fennoscandian subspecies of X. (A.) speciosa is ssp. baltica (Valle, 1940) stat. rev., and that of X. (A.) alpicola (Zetterstedt, 1839) is ssp. iveni (Hi.ibner, 1870) stat. rev

Abundance of day-flying Lepidoptera along an air pollution gradient in the northern boreal forest zone¹

Day-active lepidopterans were counted in the summers of 1991-1993 on transects of 5 x 100 min 12 localities representing five zones of pollutioninduced forest deterioration in the Kola Peninsula, northwestern Russia. A total of 671 specimens representing 19 species was observed during 696 counts. Two butterflies (Clossiana euphrosyne, Vacciniina optilete) and three day-active moths (Rheumaptera subhastata, Ematurga atomaria, Sympistis heliophila) were used in the analysis; the remaining 14 butterfly species were too scarce for the statistical treatment. At early stages of pollution-induced forest damage (mean annual SO2 concentrations 20-40 µg/m3 ), the densities of the monitored species increased by a factor of 1.5 to 5, but then declined with increase in pollution. Since the host plants of the monitored species, except that of C. euphrosyne, were found in all localities surveyed, the decline could be attributed to the SO2 toxicity rather than to the lack of larval food. Although transect counts did produce valuable information about the impact of pollution on subarctic forest ecosystems, the method is poorly suited for routine bioindication of pollution in northern regions

Population densities and diversity of Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) along an air pollution gradient on the Kola Peninsula, Russia¹

The noctuid moths were monitored by means of bait traps from 1991 to 1993 in the area polluted by the Severonikel smelter on the Kola Peninsula. The total catch was 869 specimens belonging to 21 species. The catches peaked in sites representing the earlier stages of forest decline, being about two times as large as in the unpolluted area. The noctuid moths were heterogeneous in their response to pollution impact: (1) Xestia rhaetica, X. speciosa and Eurois occultus showed a clinal decline towards the emission source, (2) Diarsia mendica peaked at slightly polluted sites, (3) Acronicta auricoma, Hyppa rectilinea, Apamea maillardi and Xestia alpicola were most abundant in moderately polluted areas, (4) a mountain tundra species, Polia conspicua, was collected in heavily polluted sites only. However, neither species richness nor diversity of Noctuidae were affected by pollution

https://journal.fi/entomolfennic Review: The Nepticulidae of Eastern Europe and Asia - western, central and eastern parts

Puplesis, R. 1994: The Nepticulidae of Eastern Europe and Asia: western, central and eastern parts. - Backhuys Publishers. Leiden. 291 pp. + 840 illustrations (on more than 250 pp.). ISBN 90-73348-29-3. Price NLG 210