Adi Vesnić,
Enisa Oruč,
Lada Lukić-Bilela
1Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Sarajevo
Zmaja od Bosne 33-35, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina
2Biospeleological Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Avde Jabučice 30, 71000 Sarajevo
ABSTRACT
Vesnić, A., Oruč, E., & Lukić-Bilela, L. Quantitative analysis of several characteristics of Melolontha melolontha farinosa (Kraatz, 1866) (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae) local populations in mountain Cincar. In this paper, the analysis of 15 quantitative, external morphological traits in 30 male and 23 female specimens of cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha farinosa Kraatz, 1866) from a local population in Cincar Mt. has been presented. This analysis was undertaken in order to obtain basic information on variability and variation of typical morphometric traits in the aforementioned species. The data were compared between the two sexes.
Key words: Melolontha, melolontha farinosa, Coleoptera, variation, biodiversity
LITERATURA
Alonso-Zarazaga, M A. (2009). Melolonthidae. In: Alonso-Zarazaga, M. A., (ed): Fauna Europaea: Scarabaeiformia, Scarabaeoidea. Fauna Europaea version 2.1, http://www.faunaeur.org.
Baraud, J. (2001). Coléoptères Scarabaeoidea D`Europe. Société Linnéenne de Lyon, reprint, Lyon.
Kašić-Lelo, M. (2005). Osnovne spolne karakteristike i omjer spolova vrste Cetonia aurata Linnaeus, 1761 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae) u lokalnim populacijama Bosne i Hercegovine i susjednih zemalja. Magistarski rad, Odsjek za biologiju Prirodno-matematičkog fakulteta Sarajevo.
Krell, F. T. (1999). Zur Identitat von Melolontha farinosa Kraatz, 1864 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae). Beitrage zur Entomologie, 49 (2), 383-387.
Lelo, S. (2006). Revizija Mikšićevog popisa balegara (Insecta: Scarabaeoidea) Bosne i Hercegovine. Prilozi fauni Bosne i Hercegovine. 2: 8-31.
Lelo, S. (2005-2009). Sistematski prijegled balegara Bosne i Hercegovine. Unutar: S. Lelo (urednik), Fauna Bosne i Hercegovine – Biosistematski prijegledi. Interno izdanje Udruženja za inventarizaciju i zaštitu životinja, Ilijaš, Kanton Sarajevo.
Lelo, S., & Kašić-Lelo, M. (2006). O poznavanju običnog gundelja Melolontha melolontha (Linnaeus, 1758)(Insecta: Melolonthidae) u Bosni i Hercegovini. Prilozi fauni Bosne i Hercegovine, 2: 61-68.
Mikšić, R. (1953). Fauna insectorum Balcanica – Scarabaeidae. Narodna štamparija Sarajevo.
Mikšić, R. (1956). Daljnji prilog upoznavanju varijabilnosti vrste Cetonia aurata L. na području FNR Jugoslavije i ostalih balkanskih zemalja. Glasnik Prirodnjačkog muzeja srpske zemlje, B, 8, 39-73.
Mikšić, R. (1965). Scarabaeidae Jugoslavije III (Monographie). Naučno društvo Bosne i Hercegovine, 25 – 6, Sarajevo.
Mikšić, R. (1970). Katalog der Lamellicornia Jugoslawiens. Institut za šumarstvo – posebno izdanje, pp. 57, Sarajevo.
SUMMARY
According to the data by R. Mikšić, Bosnia and Herzegovina is inhabited by three species of genus Melolontha Fabricius: M. hippocastani Fabricius, 1801, M. pectoralis Germar, 1824 and M. melolontha (Linnaeus, 1758), the last one being the most common. In addition, R. Mikšić mentions at least two subspecies of B&H cockchafer: M. m. melolontha Linnaeus, 1758 in the northern and central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and M. m. farinosa Kraatz, 1866 in the southwest and the southern part (Mikšić, 1953, 1965). However, Baraud (Baraud, 2001) considers farinosa taxon as the synonym of M. pectoralis Germar, while other experts separate it as a distinct species (Krell, 1999). Surprisingly, despite numerous data on cockchafer, continually cited in R. Mikšić’s and other scientific papers (Mikšić, 1953, 1965, 1970; Baraud, 2001; Lelo, 2006b; Lelo & Kašić-Lelo, 2010) Fauna Europaea portal quote no Melolontha Fabricius species for the area of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Alonso-Zarazaga, 2007),.
In this study, 15 selected external morphological characters were analyzed in detail: the total body length (TD), the head length (DG), the length of protonum (DST), the length of scutellum (DŠĆ), the length of dextral elytra (DDE), the costal vein length in dextral wing (DKV), the pygidium length (DPIG), the length of aperture between the callus humeralis (RCH), the dextral tibia length of the first limb pair (DP1), the dextral tibia length of the second limb pair (DP2), the dextral tibia length of the third limb pair (DP3), the total length of the limbs (DE).
The total body length in males and females varies in ranges 24,0-26,05-30,0 mm, and 25,0-26,97-30,0 mm respectively. The length of fore limbs in males and females varies in ranges 15,0-17,00-19,0 mm and 12,5-13,50-16,0 mm respectively; the length of middle limbs varies in ranges 15,5-16,86-18,5 mm and 14,0-16,57-19,0 mm respectively while the length of hind limbs varies in the range 18,0-19,59-22,0 mm for males and 18,0-19,59-22,0 mm for females. Mean pygidium length in males and females were 6,55 and 5,47 mm respectively. The most variabile character is the length of scutellum with variability coefficient of 15,91 for males and as high as 17,68 for females.