ADV. BIORES. VOL 1 [2] DECEMBER 2010 1  Society of Education, India RESEARCH PAPER http://www.soeagra.com ISSN 0976-4585 Light Trapping Efficiency in Case of Ecnomus tenellus (Rambur 1842), (Trichoptera: Ecnomidae) Depending on the Moon Phases Nowinszky, L. 1 , Kiss, O. 2 , Szentkirályi, F. 3 , Puskás, J. 1 , Kádár, F. 3 , Kúti, Zs. 4 1 University of West Hungary, Savaria Campus, H-9700 Szombathely, Károlyi Gáspár Square 4. E-mail: lnowinszky@gmail.com and pjanos@gmail.com 2 H-3014 Hort, Bajcsy Zs. Street. 4., Hungary, E-mail: otto_kiss@freemail.hu 3 Department of Zoology, Plant Protection Institute of H.A.S., H-1525 Budapest, Hungary E-mail: h2404sze@ella.hu and h10432kad@ella.hu 4 Corvinus University Budapest, 1118 Budapest, Villányi Street 29-43. E-mail: kutizsuzsi@gmail.com INTRODUCTION It has long been known that insects are capable of night under the moon light of spatial orientation. As confirmed by ancient observations and records ever since Aristotele, nocturnal insects are attracted to artificial light. The researchers used the light trap at night editing the attraction of flying insects for artificial light sources. The collection of results, however, many environmental factors change. Most researchers noticed a significant reduction in the number of insects found around the full moon. This may be due in part to explain that the lamp’s light together with the moonlight collect from a smaller distance. Periodic changes in the moonlight cause significant modifications in the activity patterns in swarming of individual species. These modifications are very important to know because otherwise it is difficult to make the right choices and the development of crop protection methods and the natural environment. The caddisflies (Trichoptera) in one of the most important group of aquatic insects, the seasonal activity is therefore essential to understanding the ecological investigations [1], [2]. The caddisflies species are mostly active at night and fly well in artificial light. Therefore according to [1], [3], [4], and [5] the light trapping is one of the most suitable method in knowledge of their swarming time and abundance). Use of light-trap is suitable in order to monitor the seasonal activity species tested by the distribution of flight time, the beginning and end, and the length of the peak of activity, which is shown by Kiss et al.,[2]. In the present study's purpose was to determine whether the moon phases amend the dominant species in selected habitats of the Tisza River, the Ecnomus tenellus (Rambur 1842) (Trichoptera: Polycentropodidae) seasonal activity pattern. MATERIALS AND METHODS The investigated caddisfly species The daily catch data of Ecnomus tenellus were analyzed which is dominant in caddisflies species in the material of light-traps. This species can be found everywhere in our country highland taking care ABSTRACT The study Ecnomus tenellus (Rambur 1842, Trichoptera: Ecnomidae) catch efficiency gains discussed in the context moon phases. The catch data of four operated light-traps near Tisza River was used in the investigation, derived from years of 2003-2005. Relative catch values were calculated from data of four light-traps, they were assigned to the moon phases, they were averaged and the results were plotted with the regression equation. We found that the light trapping of this species is most successful in vicinity of first- and last quarter of Moon and it is least of all (the last) successful at the time of full moon. Results can be utilized by the environmental research. KEY WORDS: Ecnomus tenellus, caddisfly, light trapping, Moon phases ADVANCES IN BIORESEARCH, Vol 1 [2] December 2010: 1 - 5