families are recorded from Turkey. Butterflies constitute 
only 11% of all lepidopteran species. In other words, 
more than 89% of all of the scale-winged insects are 
moths, not butterflies (Shields 1989). The larvae of most 
species are phytophagous and some of them are very 
serious pests on agricultural plants. On the other hand, 
aesthetics play a significant role in butterfly importance 
and adults of many species may serve as inspiration for 
artists and designers (Borror et al. 1989). 
The systematics of the Arctiinae are in need of 
revision and depend significantiy on a personal view of 
an author. In any case, Arctiinae (formerly Arctiidae) is a 
monophyletic group with a clear autapomorphic 
character — the presence of anal glands in the females. 
On the other hand, this group bifurcated between 
Catocalinae and Herminiinae. So, many specialists 
downgraded the family Arctiidae to a subfamily of 
Erebidae (Lafontaine & Fibiger 2006, Dubatolov 2010). 
Arctiinae include the groups commonly known as tiger 
moths (or tigers), which usually have bright colours, 
footmen (which are usually much drabber), lichen moths 
and wasp moths. Many species have 'hairy' caterpillars 
which are popularly known as woolly bears or woolly 
worms. Tiger moths are characterized by the presence of 
tymbal organs on the metepisternum, sound producing 
organs used as a defence against predatory bats (Scoble 
1995). 
Materials and Methods 
The study was conducted between the years 2010 
and 2011; the objectives of this study were to investigate 
the Arctiinae fauna of Istanbul Belgrad Forest. After 
collecting with sweep nets and light traps, each specimen 
was put into a killing jar and brought to the laboratory 
for preparation and identification. Specimens were 
pinned using insect pins and they were mounted on 
spreading boards. All specimens were stored according 
to the conventional techniques for Lepidoptera (Steyskal 
et al. 1986). Identifications were made mostly by 
comparison with determined specimens from the 
collection of the author and that of the Arthropod 
Collection of the Forest Entomology and Protection 
Department in Istanbul University, Faculty of Forestry. 
Results 
Although there were a lot of studies to determine the 
Lepidoptera fauna of Turkey, they were mostly regionally 
carried out and the complete faunistics list has not 
definitely completed yet. For Belgrad Forest, a total of 13 
species belonging to 3 tribes of the subfamily Arctiinae 
are listed hereunder. The list is generated accordingly 
with the systematics and nomenclature of Fauna 
Europaea (Fibiger & Skule 2012). 
Family: Erebidae 
Subfamily: Arctiinae 
Tribe: Arctiini 
1. Arctia festiva (Hufnagel, 1766) - Collected on 
15.06.2010 
2. Arctia villica (Linnaeus, 1758) - Collected on 
13.07.2010 and 02.08.2011 
3. Coscinia striata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Collected on 
30.06.2010 
4. Euplagia quadripunctaria (Poda, 1761) - 
Collected on 29.07.2010 
5. Phragmatobia fuliginosa (Linnaeus, 1758) - 
Collected on 25.07.2010, 27.07.2010, 07.08.2011 and 
08.08.2011 
6. Phragmatobia placida (Frivaldszky, 1835) - 
Collected on 15.06. 2010 and 10.07.2011 
7. Spilosoma lubricipeda (Linnaeus, 1758) - 
Collected on 25.08.2011 and 26.08.2011 
8. Spilosoma lutea (Hufnagel, 1766) - Coilected on 
15.06.2010, 05.07.2010 and 17.07.2011 
Tribe: Syntomini 
9. Dysauxes famula (Freyer, 1836) - Collected on 
03.08.2011 
Tribe: Lithosiini 
10. Eilema depressa (Esper, 1787) - Collected on 
08.07.2010 
11. Eilema lurideola (Zincken, 1817) - Collected on 
10.08.2011 
12. Eilema sororcula (Hufnagel, 1766) - Collected 
on 15.08.2010 
13. Miltochrista miniata (Forster, 1771) - 
Collected on 15.06. 2010, 03.07.2011 and 15.07. 2011 
References 
Borror D. J., Triplehorn C. A. & Johnson N. F. 1989. An introduction to the study of insects. — New York, USA: Saunders College 
Publishing. 
Capinera J. L. 2008. Butterflies and moths. Encyclopedia of Entomology. — New York, USA: Springer publishing. 
Dubatolov V. V. 2010. Tiger-moths of Eurasia (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae) (Nyctemerini by R. de Vos & V. V. Dubatolov). — Neue 
Entomologische Nachrichten 65: 1-106. 
Fibiger M. & Skule B. 2012. Fauna Europaea. Family Erebidae. — In: Karsholt O., van Nieukerken E. J. & de Jong Y., Lepidoptera, 
Moths. Fauna Europaea version 2.5. www.faunaeur.org. 
Kantarci M. D. 1980. Untersuchungen über die Boden- und Standortkartierung im Belgrader Wald bei istanbul. — Istanbul, Turkey: 
Istanbul University Press. 
Karaöz M. Ö. 1988. Comparison of the certain edaphic and biomass characteristics of some coniferous and deciduous forest 
ecosystems in Belgrad Forest near Istanbul. — Istanbul University Review of the Faculty of Forestry 38(1): 157-190. 
Ko?ak A. Ö. & Kemal M 2009. Revised checklist of the Lepidoptera of Turkey. Ankara, Turkey. — Centre for Entomological Studies 
(CESA) press. 
Phegea 41(3) 01.ix.2013: 56 
ISSN 0771-5277 
