Baseline monitoring of Macrolepidoptera in high grasslands around Sibiel, Romania

 

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Article Title: Baseline monitoring of Macrolepidoptera in high grasslands around Sibiel, Romania
Authors: Stancă-Moise C.
Affiliation: *“Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Faculty of Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Food Industry and Environmental Protection, Sibiu, Romania
Abstract: A study of diurnal Lepidoptera (Rhopalocera) populations was completed in 2015 in meadows cut for hay around the village of Sibiel, located 22 km from Sibiu, central Romania. From a combination of field survey and literature review the following meta and species trait data was aquired for each of the species collected: (1) Biogeographic region association; (2) Broad habitat type(s) preferred by adults, (3) National status (4) Altitudinal range (5) Flight period (6) IUCN Conservation status. (7) Larval food plants (8) Overwintering stage (9) Migratory status and (10) No. specimens collected (and location). There were 59 species collected from six families: Hesperioidea (7 species), Papilionidae (1 species), Pieridae (10 species), Lycaenidae (14 species), Nymphalidae (17 species) and Satyrinae (10 species). Butterflies repsond rapidly to environmental changes and are important indicators of the health of biodievrsity and the wider environment. This study has generated an important new baseline on the status of butterflies in the region, from which future changes can be measured and the impacts of anthropogenic pressures, such as cliamte change and agricultural intensification evaluated.
Keywords: faunistics; ecology; zoogeography; Macrolepidoptera; Rhopalocera; Sibiel, biodiversity indicators.
*Correspondence: Cristina Moise, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Food Industry and Environmental Protection, 5-7 Ion Ratiu, 550371 Sibiu, Romania, phone: 0040269234111, fax: 0040269234111, e-mail: cristinamoise1@yahoo.com