International Journal of Geology, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Volume – 1 Issue – 1 December 2013 Website: www.woarjournals.org/IJGAES WOAR Journals Page 32 The Light-trap Catch of Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner (Cameraria ohridella Deschka et Dimiš, Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) Depending on the Solar Activity Featured by Q-Index L. Nowinszky 1* , J. Puskás 1 University of West-Hungary Savaria Campus, H-9701 Szombathely Károlyi G. Square 4. * Corresponding Author Abstract: The paper deals with connections between solar flare activities and light-trap collection of Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner (Cameraria ohridella Deschka et Dimić 1986). The authors have worked out t he light-trap catch data from a light-trap operated in Budapest Hungary, Europe. The data were taken from seven years between 1997 and 2006. Our results proved that the daily catches were significantly modified by the Q-index, expressing the different lengths and intensities of the solar flares. On days with high Q-index relative to the ones of the average swarming periods, the numbers of catches are considerably lower. Keywords: Cameraria ohridella, light-trap, Q-index, solar flares. 1. Introduction and Review of literature 1.1 The Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner The Cameraria ohridella Macedonia miner was discovered in 1985. Species proved to be new to science (Dimiš et al, 2000). The real origin of this harmful moth is unknown [1]. Presumably there was a human mediation, because relatives live only in North America and Asia. Now it can be reported from sycamores (Acer pseudoplatanus) in Hungary, as well [2]. The Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner in 1991 was observed in Hungary [3]. This species has spread rapidly to other countries in Europe [4], [5]. It was first discovered in Britain at Wimbledon in south-west London in 2002 [6]. In relation to the spread and way of life, the possibility of damaging the defense almost immediately started the research in Hungary [7]–[12], and across Europe: Austria 1989 [13], Hungary 1993 [14], Bohemia 1993 [15], Slovakia 1994 [16], Germany 1996 [17], Slovenia [18], Poland [19]. Three generations of this species can be investigated in swarming [20]–[23] In the clime conditions in Romania, the Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner had four generations in 2000, and tree during 2001 – 2003, remaining in hiemal diapauses during pupae stage [24]. Dimiš et al. [25] and Augustin et al. [6] also considered monophagous species of horse chestnut leaf miner (Cameraria ohridella). This monophagous species almost exclusively develops on white-flowered horse chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum L. Observations on the development of the Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner on red horse chestnut (Aesculus x carnea H.) were carried out in Poland, in 2001–2003 [22] and in Romania [26]. Three generations were recorded to lay eggs on the red horse chestnut leaves. Although the hatching larvae died after a short period of feeding in the plant’s leaves and the species did not complete its development on this tree. The observed leaf damage was, therefore, negligible [22]. The Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner, Cameraria ohridella Deschka & Dimiš was first found in the UK in 2002, and has since spread to most of south-east England and East Anglia. Its main host-plant is the white flowering horse-chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum L., but the moth also damages other Aesculus species and sometimes sycamore and Norway maple [27]. Results of Péré [5] have shown that the Cameraria ohridella high numbers of eggs are laid on Acer pseudoplatanus when the trees are surrounded by horse-chestnut but that the majority of the larvae died in the first two instars. In Hungary Horváth [28] examined the parasitoid community of Cameraria ohridella. Five Chalcididae species were stable members of the parasitoid community; however the Ichneumonidae and Braconidae species are very rare. Beforehand study of Lethmayer and Grabenweger [29] showed that only 1-5 % of the larvae and pupae were parasited by means of species Eulophidae (Chalcidoidae). About 6500 parasitoids (20 different species) from the fallen leaves collected in autumn and winter 1996 were examined from different sites in Vienna [30]. Grabenweger [31] suggests that the poor control of C. ohridella by natural enemies may partly be due to the poor synchronisation between the life cycles of the introduced host and native parasitoid wasps. The predatory behaviour of workers of Crematogaster scutellaris (Olivier), acrobat ant, on larvae and pupae of horse chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella Deschka et Dimiš, was observed for the first time in Northern Italy by Radeghieri ]32].