Additional records of Tropidothorax leucopterus (Goeze, 1778) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) for Slovakia
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Naturae Tutela |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Zoology |
| Keywords | true bugs; Heteroptera; seed bugs; Lygaeidae; white swallow-wort seed bug; Tropidothorax leucopterus; Slovakia; faunistics |
| Attached files | |
| Description | Tropidothorax leucopterus (Goeze, 1778) is an aposematic species living on toxic plants from the subfamily Asclepiadoideae (family Apocynaceae sensu lato); in western and central Europe the species occurs on the native Vincetoxicum hirundinaria or alien Asclepias syriaca. Only several records of the species from eastern and southern Slovakia was published until now. Our work presents several further records also from western, central and northern parts of the country. These records show that T. leucopterus is distributed in Slovakia more widely than suggested by the published data. Several areas (Spiš region, Slovak Karst) are probably refugia with historically continuous occurrence of T. leucopterus and these sites have an important role as a sources of specimens for further spreading due to the climatic changes. Very similar situation was observed also in neighbouring Czech Republic where the species was formerly considered as critically endangered. Due to the current trend of spreading into new localities and rediscoveries on historical localities after a long time as well as due to the presence of invasive Asclepias syriaca in Slovak flora, it can be concluded that T. leucopterus is not threatened in Slovakia at the present time. |
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