ISSN 0771-5277 Phegea 41 (3) 01.ix.2013: 55 The Arctiinae (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) of Istanbul Belgrad Forest, Turkey Hamit Ayberk Abstract. Istanbul-Belgrad Forest mainly is in the form of a deciduous forest, composed of various tree species and tall shrubs. The study was conducted between the years of 2010 and 2011 in related area. The objectives of this study were to investigate the Arctiinae fauna of the area. As a result of the study; a total of 13 species belonging to 3 tribes of the subfamily Arctiinae are determined. Samenvatting. De Arctiinae (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) van Istanbul Belgrad Forest, Turkije Het Istanbul Belgrad Forest is een hoofdzakelijk een loofbos, samengesteld uit verschillende boomsoorten en grote struiken. De studie werd uitgevoerd in 2010 en 2011 met als doel de Arctiinae fauna van dit gebied te inventariseren. In totaal werden 13 soorten, behorende tot 3 tribi waargenomen. Résumé. Les Arctiinae (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) de la forêt d'Istanbul Belgrad, Turquie La forêt d'Istanbul Belgrad consiste surtout en arbres à feuillage caduque et en arbustes. L'étude a été conduite en 2010 et 2011 et avait comme but d'inventorier la faune d'Arctiinae dans cette région. Au total, 13 espèces appartenant à 3 tribus ont été signalées. Key Words: Istanbul Belgrad Forest – Lepidoptera – Arctiinae fauna – Faunistics Ayberk H.: Istanbul University, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Entomology and Protection, Bahçeköy 34473, Istanbul- Turkey. hayberk@istanbul.edu.tr Introduction Belgrad Forest corresponding to 0.03% of total forested areas in Turkey covers an area of 5,444 ha. Elevation in the area ranges from 40–230 m. The climate of Belgrad Forest according to Thorthwaite classification system is humid, mesothermal oceanic with a moderate water deficit in summer. The soils are shallow to deep, gravely, loamy clay in texture, rich in organic matter with medium to good permeability rates. The area, geographically, is on the Thracian side of Istanbul and spreads over the part of the land encased by the Bosporus on one side and the Black sea coastline on the other. The forest mainly is in the form of a deciduous forest, composed of various tree species and tall shrubs (Figure 1). Dominant vegetation of the area includes Quercus frainetto, Q. cerris and Fagus orientalis tree species mixed with varying amounts of Acer campestre, A. trautvetteri, Alnus glutinosa, Carpinus betulus, Castanea sativa, Populus tremula, Sorbus torminalis and Ulmus campestris with a normal crown closure (Yaltırık 1966, Kantarcı 1980; Karaöz 1988). Figure 1. Istanbul Belgrad Forest, Turkey. The Lepidoptera is the second largest single group of similar organisms in the world (only the beetles, Coleoptera, have more species) comprising an estimated 174,250 species in 126 families and 46 superfamilies (Mallet 2007, Capinera 2008). According to Koçak & Kemal (2009), 5,182 Lepidopteran species, belong to 76