Geometridae (Insecta: Lepidoptera) in stands of substitute species with the dominant position of birch

Abstract

The species spectrum of Geometridae, their seasonal and population dynamics and importance for the stability of birch stands in the air-polluted area of the Krušné hory Mts. was derived from a light trap [224 species of imagoes, particularly Cabera pusaria (L.), and Cyclophora albipunctata (Hufn.)] and the method of shaking off from birch crowns [52 species of larvae, particularly C. pusaria (L.), Operophtera fagata (Scharp.), Alcis repandata (L.), Biston betularius (L.), and C. albipunctata (Hufn.)]. O. fagata (Scharp.) has an economic importance for birch stands and newly established beech stands. Thanks to the uneven time of hatching moths of an eudominant species C. pusaria (L.) the danger of defoliation of birch stands in summer is reduced in spite of the species gradation potential.

Keywords

• larvae
• betula pendula
• krušné hory mts.
• method of shaking off
• light catcher
• geometridae