Редкие степные виды насекомых (отряды Coleoptera и Lepidoptera) и формирование современной энтомофауны Ростовской области

Abstract

The Rostov-on-Don region (South of Russia) is the developed agricultural area with small spots of natural steppe cenoses. As а resuit of the 25-year investigations (since 1972), there have been detected great changes in the insect fauna. The studied families are: Noctuidae (Lepidopera) and Curculionidae (Coleoptera). The Noctuidae fauna has changed during one century by 50%. The steppe moths became rare, and there appeared more of forest and meadow species. The same phenomenon is typical of beetles, too. At the same time, some weevil species invade the region from the semidesert east. And in the Rostov/Don region. there are still endemic weevils of the South of Russia. In fact, there іs no reduction, but rather evolution of the insect fauna.