Zur Zikadenfauna (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) der Lafnitzwiesen bei Wörth (Steiermark, Österreich)

Abstract

The Austrian „Naturschutzjugend“ (ÖNJ) is owner of several sites (called "Öko-Inseln“) of high value for nature conservation issues. The ÖNJ conducts site preservation, but also tries to restore „high value“ ecosystems. The Styrian „Öko-Inseln“ were evaluated from a nature conservation perspective in 2016/2017, with leaf- and planthoppers (among other taxa) as bioindicators. The „Oeko-Insel“ „Lafnitzwiesen bei Wörth“ is situated in the Natura 2000 site AT2208000 „Lafnitztal und Neudauer Teiche“. Auchenorrhyncha were collected with a suction sampler (3 x 100 points) in May and June 2016. Four sites were studied: Two moorgrass meadows and two restored grassland sites (former spruce forests). We collected 2,094 Auchenorrhyncha belonging to 56 species. Criomorphus williamsi China, 1939 and Anoscopus carlebippus Guglielmino & Bückle, 2015 are new records for Austria. The most abundant species are Conomelus lorifer, Cicadella viridis, Forcipata citrinella, Megophthalmus scanicus and Errastunus ocellaris. One third of all species are threatened according to the Red List of Austria. The restoration of wet grassland on former spruce forests is considered as successful, as the Auchenorrhyncha fauna was already dominated by wet grassland species only five years after forest clearance, although rare and threatened species were not present yet.