Natura Somogyiensis 15 127-158 Ka pos vár, 2009 Sawflies of the Zselic Hills, SW Hungary (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) ATTIL A HA RIS H-8142 Úrhida, Petőfi str. 103, Hungary, e-mail:
[email protected] HA RIS , A.: Sawflies of the Zselic Hills, SW Hungary (Hymenoptera: Symphyta). Abstract: The first paper on sawflies of Zselicség (Hungary, South-West Transdanubia) is presented. 192 sawfly species are recorded. Paracharactus (Dicrostema) gracilicornis (Zaddach, 1859) is a new record for the Hungarian sawfly fauna. Keywords: Hymenoptera, Symphyta, Zselic Hills, Hungary Introduction Zselicség (or Zselic Hills) is a landscape area in Southern Transdanubia (Hungary) extending North to the valley of River Kapos, South to Szigetvár and Mecsek Hills, East to Dombóvár and West to Lad. It is situated mainly in Somogy and Baranya counties, with an area also in Tolna County, rich in cultural and natural values (Figs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). The Zselicség is a hilly area (Fig. 4), its highest point being 357 m (Hollófészek). The lower regions are situated between100-103 meters above sea level and the average height of the hills varies between 200-250 m. These surface formations are derived from the Pannon sediment. About 10 million years ago, this area was covered by the early Pliocene Pannon See. Its sediments (clay, sand and marl) are about 1000m thick at Kaposvár and reach even 2500m at South Zselic. On the sediments of the Pannonian See (Pannonian Plate), the surface formations were created by erosion and watercourses. Later, during the glacial periods, loess covered the Pannonian plates. The hills of Zselic form a watershed in East-West direction through the region.