Tyrphobionte und tyrphophile Zikaden (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha) in den Hochmoor-Resten der Weser-Ems-Region (Deutschland, Niedersachsen)

Abstract

Tyrphobiontic and tyrphophilous leaf- and planthoppers (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha) in peat bog remnants of the Weser-Ems region (Lower Saxony, NW Germany). – Until the 1950s northwest Germany was characterized by large and more or less undisturbed peat bogs. During the last decades most of them have been destroyed or degraded, mainly by peat extraction. Today, some very small semi-natural remnants are left, most of them being officially protected as nature reserves. In 2004 we studied the Auchenorrhyncha fauna of 8 selected sites in the Weser-Ems region, focussing on tyrphobiontic and tyrphophilous species, in order to elucidate the situation of peat bog specialists. These data should provide a basis for landscape planning and nature conservation research in view of peat bog restoration. A total of 52 Auchenorrhyncha species was found, including 10 peatland specialists. The leafhopper Limotettix atricapillus has not been recorded during the last 40 years and, therefore, must be regarded as regionally extinct.