Journal of Mosquito Research, 2012, Vol.2, No.5, 32
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35
Figure 4 Hungarian mosquito life-form diversity is dominated by three life-form-types
2
Background variables of the diversity of
the Hungarian mosquito fauna
The Hungarian mosquito fauna is so species rich in
European comparison (Figure 5). It manifests not only
in the high species number, but in species richness
relatively to the areas of the countries. In comparison
the local species numbers projected to 1000 km
2
of the
given countries species richness of the Hungarian
fauna is overtook just by European Turkey, Slovakia
and Croatia.
Figure 5 Recorded species numbers (line) and species numbers
projected to 1000 km2 (columns) in the European countries
characterized by the most rich mosquito faunas
Hydrography, climate and land-use of Hungary are
characterized by different requirements and well
adapted for habitation by mosquitoes (Tóth and
Kenyeres, 2012), so we hypothesized that high species
richness of the country originates from the diverse
landscape-structure and this phenomenon can also be
proved within the country, with comparison of regions
characterized by different landscape structure. In
several European countries the invasive mosquito
species increase the diversity of the local fauna. These
species have not been known in Hungary as
permanent element of the fauna, but based on Seidel et
al (2012) active dispersion of
Aedes japonicus
has
reached to Hungary near the Slovenian border.
For testing of our hypothesis we choose regions
characterized by well-known local mosquito fauna and
different landscape-structure. (A) mountainous regions:
Bakony Region (Tóth, 2006), Mátra Region (Tóth,
2009),
Mecsek Mts. (Tóth, 2011); (B) lake with
natural waterside vegetation: Balaton (Tóth and
Sáringer, 2002); (C) natural flooded areas on
riversides: interval of Danube River (Kenyeres and
Tóth, 2005); (D) artificial and semi-natural flooded
areas on riversides: area of Lake Tisza (Tóth et al.
unpublished).