biologia - Studia

STUDIA UNIVERSITATIS BABEŞ – BOLYAI, BIOLOGIA, LV, 1, 2010, p. 31-44
LEAF-BEETLES (COLEOPTERA, CHRYSOMELIDAE) FROM THE
AREA BISTRIłA BÂRGĂULUI- COLIBIłA- PIATRA
FÂNTÂNELE, A PART OF “NATURE 2000”
CUŞMA SITE (NE ROMANIA)
ALEXANDRU CRIŞAN 1
SUMMARY. A number of 68 leaf beetle species from 9 subfamilies and
32 genera were found in a research made in the North and North-Eastern
parts of Cusma Nature 2000 Site, district of Bistrita-Nasaud (Romania). Two
endemic species and other 24 rare ones were revealed. Chrysomelinae
subfamily and the genera Chrysolina, Longitarsus and Cassida were the
best represented ones. The hygrophilous herbs from Soimului de Sus
valley was the habitat with the largest number of species, so as a mezzohygrophilous
lawn in Piatra Fantanele. Some other habitats are important
by their rare or endemic leaf beetle species.
Keywords: leaf-beetles, Cusma “Nature 2000” Site, species list, distribution
in habitats
Introduction
Researches made in this area on leaf-beetles constitute a part of the works
started by a research group, in order to substantiate the inclusion of the “Cuşma”
site (BistriŃa-Năsăud district, Romania) in the ”Nature 2000” European Ecological
Network. It represents the Northern and North-Eastern parts of the proposed site.
At first, it were established the most representative habitats of the area, in some
representative points: BistriŃa Bârgăului river meadow, Popasul Şoimului (the
falcon halt); Şoimului de Sus valley (all situated dawn stream of the ColibiŃa barrage),
than: ColibiŃa-MiŃa zones, around the ColibiŃa lake; the Toader’s valley; the Dălbidan
valley; the area Tăul Zânelor to Strănior glade; the area Piatra Fântânele to Vinului
glade (the all situated upstream of the ColibiŃa barrage). In these areas we checked
forest habitats (beech forests, mixed forests with broad-leaved species, mixed forests
with Picea and Fagus, pure spruce forests); river meadow habitats (alluvial forests
with Alnus and Salix species, alluvial bushes and clearings); lawn habitats (river
meadow lawns, sub-mountain and mountain lawns and hay-lands). No investigations
1 Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca,
E-mail: acrisan@hasdeu.ubbcluj.ro