Volume 52, No. 1, 2005 ISSN 1501-8415 Norwegian Journal of Entomology NORSK ENTOMOLOGISK TIDSSKRIFT Published by the Norwegian Entomological Society NORWEGIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY A continuation of Fauna Norvegica Serie B (1979-1998), Norwegian Journal of Entomology (1975-1978) and Norsk entomologisk Tidsskrift (1921-1974). Published by The Norwegian Entomological Society (Norsk ento mo logisk forening). Norwegian Journal of Entomology publishes original papers and reviews on taxonomy, faunistics, zoogeography, general and applied ecology of insects and related terrestrial arthropods. Short communications, e.g. one or two printed pages, are also considered. Manuscripts should be sent to the editor. Editor Lauritz Sømme, Department of Biology, University of Oslo, P.O.Box 1066 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway. E-mail: [email protected]. Editorial secretary Lars Ove Hansen, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O.Box 1172, Blindern, NO-0318 Oslo. E-mail: [email protected]. Editorial board Arne C. Nilssen, Tromsø John O. Solem, Trondheim Lita Greve Jensen, Bergen Knut Rognes, Stavanger Arild Andersen, Ås Layout: Lars Ove Hansen, UiO; Jeanette Larsen, 2punkt, Oslo Membership and subscription. Requests about membership should be sent to the secretary: Jan A. Stenløkk, P.O. Box 386, NO-4002 Stavanger, Norway ([email protected]). Annual membership fees for The Norwegian Entomological Society are as follows: NOK 280 (juniors NOK 100) for members with addresses in Norway, NOK 330 for members in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, NOK 380 for members outside the Nordic countries. Members of The Norwegian Entomological Society receive Norwegian Journal of Entomology and Insekt-Nytt free. Institutional and non-member subscription: NOK 300 in Norway, NOK 330 in other Nordic countries, NOK 380 elsewhere. Subscription and membership fees should be transferred in NOK directly to the account of The Norwegian Entomological Society, attn.: Per Nedreberg, Jerpefaret 3D, NO-1440 Drøbak, Norway. Account No. 7874.06.46353 (IBAN: NO79 7874 0646 353), SWIFT code: DNBANOKK. Name of the bank: Den norske Bank, N-0021 Oslo, Norway. Transfer costs should be covered by the sender. If paying by cheque, NOK 80 must be added to cover the fee of handling in our bank. Medlemskap og abonnement. Forespørsel om medlemskap i NEF sendes sekretæren: Jan A. Stenløkk, Postboks 386, NO-4002 Stavanger ([email protected]). Kontingent for medlemskap i Norsk entomologisk forening er følgende: Kr. 280 (junior kr. 100) for personlige medlemmer med adresse i Norge, kr. 330 for medlemmer i Dan mark, Finland og Sverige, og kr. 380 for medlemmer utenfor Fennoskandia og Danmark. Medlemmer av Norsk entomologisk forening mottar Norwegian Journal of Entomology og Insekt-Nytt gratis. Abonnement for institusjoner og ikke-medlemmer koster kr. 330 i Fennoskandia og Danmark og kr. 380 for abon nenter i andre land. Kontingent og abonnement betales til Norsk Entomologisk Forening, ved Per Nedreberg, Jerpefaret 3D, 1440 Drøbak. Konto 7874.06.46353. Vennligst benytt giro, ikke sjekk. Husk avsenderadresse. NEF web site: http://www.entomologi.no Front cover: Fungus gnat (Manota mazumbaiensis Søli, 1993) (Drawing by G. Søli). Printed by: PDC Tangen as Printed: 23 June 2005 Editorial The purpose of the Norwegian Journal of Entomology The main purpose of the Norwegian Journal of paper editions last for hundreds of years. Entomology is to serve as a forum for entomo- The activities of The Norwegian Entomo- logical publications, in particular in faunistics, logical Society are based on voluntary work. systematics and ecology. National journals like So is part of the editorial work and distribution the Norwegian Journal of Entomology cannot in connection with the Norwegian Journal of compete with international journals, and for Entomology. Although the importance of the many authors there is a dilemma whether to journal is generally accepted, it is a dilemma publish their papers in international or in that the expenses must be kept at a low level. For national journals. International journals are usu- some years the Journal was published by ally considered more prestigious, while the na- the Norwegian Institute of Nature (NINA) tional journals have much lower refusal rates. in Trondheim, but in 1998 the institute decided to discontinue the publiction. They claimed that The importance of the national journals is the reason for this was fi nancial. To the Society to print papers of more local studies. In this this was a great disappointment, since we felt respect they serve as databases for biodiversity. that publication of biodiversity would be a Detailed knowledge of the presence and distri- central task for an institution like NINA. In bution of organisms is important to understand particular since insects and related arthropods the effect of pollution, climate change and other represent the most diversifi ed groups of the anthropological infl uences. The Norwegian animal kingdom. Journal of Entomology is a journal for the biodiversity of Norwegian insects and related Subsequently, the publication of the Journal was taxonomic groups. In its wider contexts “ento- continued by the Society itself. By voluntary mology” includes springtails, mites, spiders and work and fi nancing through membership fees other arachnoids, and sometimes even myria- we were able to give the Journal a new life. pods. Fortunately, the Norwegian Ministry of Environ- ment understands the importance of the Journal Although not suitable for international journals, as a forum for biodiversity, and has supported it is important that this kind of information the Society with a yearly allowance, partly is published. The gradual accumulation of directly and partly through the SABIMA orga- knowledge contributes to a better understand- nization. ing of our fauna in general. In the future, it is possible that more information will be stored in To continue publication of the Journal we electronic databases, or that even the journals have to keep our expenses at a low level. The themselves will be available only on the Internet. authors can contribute to this by preparing their New information on distribution and occurrence manuscripts according to our standards. Instruc- can be added to the databases without a paper tions to authors and the lay-out in general should publication. On the other hand, there will still be be followed closely. If at all possible, fi gures a demand for paper editions of the journals. They should be submitted electronically on a disk make it easier to be up to date in your fi eld. For or CD. Better prepared manuscripts will reduce the authors, documentation of the originality of the work of the editor and the editorial secretary. their publications is important. Nobody knows Recently, we have made an agreement with the how long electronic databases can persist, but company 2punkt at Økern in Oslo. They will 1 Editorial produce the settings of the Journal for as low ecology. costs as possible. In this connection, well prepared manuscripts from the authors are im- In conclusion, there is a demand for journals that portant and later corrections should be avoided. will publish faunistic data of local interest. Such data form the bases for further reviews. Although In our present times we fi nd that expenses are not acceptable in international journals, ecologi- increasing all around us. Prices of international cal studies may include data of great general scientifi c journals are rising steadily. Regarding interest, and should be published in national the Norwegian Journal of Entomology, the price journals. Regarding taxonomy, description of is actually much lower than it would have been a few or single new species will not always be if the journal should have been produced at a accepted in international journals, but may fi nd commercial rate. To compensate for increasing their place in national ones. National journals expenses, however, the Society has decided to are an important part of the activities of the increase membership fees from 2005. We hope respective entomological societies and a source this will not result in a loss of members, but that of information for members that are spread out we can afford to continue our production of the all over the country. Without the national jour- Journal and the popular Insekt-Nytt as well. nals there would probably be less interest in entomology. At the 25th Nordic-Baltic Congress of Entomol- ogy in 2000, I raised the question: Do we need Nordic national entomological journals? (See Lauritz Sømme Norw. J. Entomol. 48, 35-39.) The answer is of course yes, which is supported by the fact that more than 400 papers were published in the national entomological journals of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden during 1995 - 1999. Among the papers published during this period in the Norwegian Journal of Entomology, 85 were on faunistics, 3 in taxonomy and 14 in 2 Norw. J. Entomol. 52, 3-12, 2005 Altitudinal zonation of ants (Formicidae) in a steep fjord landscape in Sogndal, Western Norway Sigmund Hågvar Hågvar, S. 2005. Altitudinal zonation of ants (Formicidae) in a steep fjord landscape in Sogndal, Western Norway. Norw. J. Entomol. 52, 3-12. In a steep fjord landscape in Western Norway, with timber line at about 900 m a.s.l. and scattered trees up to about 925 m, the altitudinal zonation of the ant fauna was studied from sea level to 1030 m a.s.l. Combined with literature data, it was concluded that 18 species lived below 200 m altitude, 12 species at 400 m altitude, 9 species at 600 m altitude, and 7 species at 900 m altitude. Only two species lived above tree line: the world’s northernmost ant species Leptothorax acervorum which was found up to 1025 m, and the arctic species Formica gagatoides which was found at 1000 m elevation. It was a good correlation between the altitudinal and latitudinal distribution of the species within Norway, and temperature is probably an important regulating factor for the ant fauna.