ISSN 1211-8788 Acta Musei Moraviae, Scientiae biologicae (Brno) 94: 27–42, 2009 The distribution of Tropidothorax leucopterus in the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) PETR KMENT1, PAVEL ŠTYS2, ALICE EXNEROVÁ2, PAVEL TOMŠÍK3, PETR BAÒAØ 4,5 & KAREL HRADIL6 1Department of Entomology, National Museum, Kunratice 1, CZ-148 00 Praha 4, Czech Republic; e-mail: [email protected] 2Charles University, Prague, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Vinièná 7, CZ-128 44 Praha 2, Czech Republic 3Charles University, Prague, Faculty of Medicine, Hradec Králové, Department of Biochemistry, Šimkova 870, CZ-500 01 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; e-mail: [email protected] 4Department of Entomology, Moravian Museum, Hviezdoslavova 29a, CZ-627 00 Brno-Slatina, Czech Republic; e-mail: [email protected] 5Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Department of Forest Protection, Strnady 136, CZ-252 02 Jílovištì, Czech Republic 6State Phytosanitary Administration, Tylova 29, Jièín, CZ-506 01, Czech Republic; e-mail: [email protected] KMENT P., ŠTYS P., EXNEROVÁ A., TOMŠÍK P., BAÒAØ P. & HRADIL K. 2009: The distribution of Tropidothorax leucopterus in the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeidae). Acta Musei Moraviae, Scientiae biologicae (Brno) 94: 27–42. – The past and recent occurrence of Tropidothorax leucopterus (Goeze, 1778) (Lygaeidae: Lygaeinae) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia is analysed, and the biology and ecology of the species are reviewed. It is recorded for the first time from Bohemia, which testifies to its current northward spread in Central Europe. Keywords. Heteroptera, Lygaeidae, Tropidothorax leucopterus, Bohemia, Moravia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Greece, biology, ecology, range expansion Introduction Tropidothorax leucopterus (Goeze, 1778) is a conspicuous aposematically-coloured (red-and-black) true bug (Figs 3, 4) trophically bound to plants of the family Apocynaceae s. lat. (including Asclepiadaceae) (PÉRICART 1999, WACHMANN et al. 2007; ENDRESS & BRUYNS 2000). It is widely distributed in southern, Central and Eastern Europe (Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldavia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, southern and central European Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine), North Africa (Algeria, Egypt), and Asia from the Near East to northern India (Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Armenia, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadzhikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) (PÉRICART 2001; PROTIÆ 2001, KONDOROSY et al. 2006). HAMID & MEHER 27 P. K MENT et al. (1976) expected this species from Pakistan, but they were unable to find a reliable record from this country. The occurrence in Indonesia (PUTSHKOV 1969, without exact locality) is most probably based on misidentification. In the Czech Republic the species was previously known only from southern Moravia (SPITZNER 1892, KMENT et al. 2003). In this paper we review all the records from the Czech Republic and Slovakia and discuss the possible current spread of the species in central Europe. Review of the records The records are arranged chronologically. Codes for the Central European mapping grid (EHRENDORFER & HAMANN 1965) follow PRUNER & MÍKA (1996) and NOVÁK (1989). Bohemia (Fig. 1) • Praha-Bohnice, Zámky Nature Monument (5852), along the boundary between flat steppe on top and steep, extremely xerothermic rocky part (porphyrite to diabase), end of August 2007, dozens of 5th instar larvae aggregated on Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, A. Exnerová and P. Štys lgt. & det., reared to adults by P. Baòaø (coll. P. Štys, Prague) (see Fig. 5) (unpubl.) • Praha-Bohnice, Zámky Nature Monument (5852), June 2008, dozens of larvae aggregated on Vincetoxicum hirudinaria, P. Fousová lgt., P. Štys det. (coll. P. Štys, Prague) (unpubl.) • Lovèice, Knìžièky National Nature Reserve (former Bludy National Monument) (5858), southern steppe slopes, 2.vii.2008, 1 ♀, K. Hradil lgt. & det. (coll. K. Hradil, Miletín) (unpubl.) • Choťovice, Knìžièky National Nature Reserve (Žehuòská obora deer park; Figs. 7–8) (5857–58; N 50°08′56″, E 15°19′41″, south-facing slopes, forest steppe, 6.x.2004, 10 spec. collected under bark of trees, M. Mikát lgt., P. Tomšík det. (coll. Museum of East Bohemia, Hradec Králové); 2.ix.2008, thousands of specimens (mostly adults, less frequently larvae) on Vincetoxicum hirudinaria, some adults also on flowers of other plants (Tanacetum vulgare, Solidago sp.), on bark of the trees (especially Aesculus hippocastanum) and on leaves of apple trees (on some lower leaves aggregating in groups sucking from the leaves), P. Tomšík & H. Øíhová observ. & det.; 7.ix.2008, 12 ♂♂ 16 ♀♀, P. Tomšík lgt. & det., P. Kment revid. (coll. National Museum, Prague) (unpubl.) • Choťovice, at railway station (5857), 2.ix.2008, adults on flowers of Tanacetum vulgare (together with Spilostethus saxatilis), P. Tomšík observ. & det. (see Fig. 4) (unpubl.) • Žehuò, Žehuòský rybník pond National Nature Reserve (5857), meadow,9.viii.2009, 1 specimen, J. Poøíz photo, M. Fiala det., P. Kment revid. (http://www.biolib.cz/cz/ image/id81022) • Lovèice, Knìžièky National Nature Reserve (former Bludy National Monument) (5858), southern steppe slopes, 28.ix.2009, numerous specimens sitting on stairs and between logs of an old log cabin, P. Tomšík observ. (unpubl.) Moravia (Fig. 1) • Èernowitz nächst Brünn (= Brno-Èernovice; 6865), no date, Dr. Fleischer lgt. (SPITZNER 1892, as Lygaeus familiaris) • Podyjí National Park, Èížov env., southern slopes of hills above River Dyje (above a former customs post) close to the bridge to Hardegg (Austria) (7161), June 1992, adults individually on isolated plants of Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, among dry grass in a light hornbeam-oak wood, P. Štys lgt. & det. (coll. P. Štys, Prague) (unpubl.) 28 Acta Mus. Moraviae, Sci. Biol. (Brno), 94, 2009 Tropidothorax leucopterus in the Czech Republic and Slovakia • Podyjí National Park, forest complex on southern slopes of hills south of Podmolí and Mašovice (7161), June 1992, hundreds of adults and late larvae found on stands of Vincetoxicum hirundinaria in dry, isolated and “hidden” glades in a mixed (predominantly oak, hornbeam and spruce) forest, P. Štys lgt. & det. (coll. P. Štys, Prague) (unpubl.) • Mikulov Svatý Kopeèek Nature Reserve (7165), 29.v.1999, 1 ♀ on stand of Vincetoxicum hirundinaria in a meadow in a glade in predominantly Quercus wood, A. Exnerová and P. Štys lgt. & det. (coll. P. Štys, Prague) (unpubl.) • Hodonín (7168), north of the city, forest on sands, on Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, September 1999, a group of larvae and adults photographed by J. Klváèek (V. Zeman, pers. comm.); 30.ix.2000, 1 ♀ 5 spec., V. Zeman lgt., P. Kment det. (coll. V. Zeman, Pøerov & coll. P. Kment, National Museum, Prague) (KMENT et al. 2003) • Rohatec (7169), 29.vi.2000, 1 ♂, no further data, M. Vodrážka lgt., P. Baòaø det. (coll. Moravian Museum, Brno) (unpubl.) • Sedlec (7266), Skalky Nature Reserve, limestone steppe slope, 240–250 m a.s.l., 1.viii.2000, 1 ♀, J. L. Stehlík lgt. & det. (KMENT et al. 2003) • Radìjov (7170), Luèina, sucking on Tithymalus cyparissias, 21.v.2001, 1 ♀, T. Baòaø lgt., P. Baòaø det. (KMENT et al. 2003) • Bzenec-Pøívoz (7069), on Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, 19.vi.2002, 1 ♂, P. Baòaø lgt. & det. (KMENT et al. 2003); same locality, 28.vii.2005, V. Zeman lgt., 1 spec. (coll. V. Zeman, Pøerov) (unpubl.) • Klentnice, Tabulová hora National Nature Reserve (7165), dry meadow on southern slope of the limestone hill, end of August 2006, dozens of adults and 5th instar larvae aggregated on Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, photo by D. B. Øíhová (Fig. 3), A. Exnerová and P. Štys det. (unpubl.) • Klentnice, Tabulová hora National Nature Reserve (7165), dry meadow on southern slope of the limestone hill, beginning of June 2007, dozens of 4th and 5th instar larvae aggregated on Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, A. Exnerová, K. Svádová and P. Štys lgt. & det., reared to adults (coll. P. Štys, Prague) (Fig. 6) (unpubl.) • Jeèmeništì (7262), 10.vii.2007, photograph of two specimens on Vincetoxicum hirundinaria by V. Køivan (KMENT 2008) • Hovorany (7067–68), 19.vii.2008, 1 spec., K. Posolda photo & det., P. Kment revid. (http://www.biolib.cz/cz/image/id81022/) (unpubl.) • Èejè, Bílý kopec Nature Monument, “Mansonova step” steppe (7067), 48°55′31″N, 16°58′47″E, 13.vii.2009, 1 ♀ swept from dry grassland, I. Malenovský lgt., P. Baòaø det. (coll. Moravian Museum, Brno) (unpubl.) • Radìjov, 2 km W of Radìjov village, “Žebrák” vineyard (7169), 15.viii.2009, 1 ♂ on Asclepias syriaca, T. Baòaø lgt. & det., P. Baòaø revid. (coll. Moravian Museum, Brno) (unpubl.) • Radìjov, ca. 3 km W of Radìjov village, “Horní hory” vineyard (7169), 17.viii.2009, 1 spec., T. Baòaø observ. & det. (unpubl.) • Èejè, Bílý kopec Nature Monument, “Mansonova step” steppe (7067), 48°55′31″N, 16°58′47″E; 24.viii.2009, several hundred specimens aggregated on Asclepias syriaca in dry grassland, P. Baòaø lgt. & det. (5 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀ in coll. Moravian Museum, Brno; 5 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ in coll. National Museum, Prague) (unpubl.) • Èejè, Bílý kopec Nature Monument, “Mansonova step” steppe (7067), 48°55′38″N, 16°58′32″E, 24.viii.2009, several hundred specimens aggregated on Asclepias syriaca in an abandoned orchard, P. Baòaø lgt. & det. (8 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀ in coll. Moravian Museum, Brno; 7 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀ in coll. National Museum, Prague) (unpubl.) • Kravsko (7061), Les Kravsko forest, 4.x.2009, 1 specimen,