POPULATION-DENSITIES AND DIVERSITY OF NOCTUIDAE (LEPIDOPTERA) ALONG AN AIR-POLLUTION GRADIENT ON THE KOLA-PENINSULA, RUSSIA

The noctuid moths were monitored by means of bait traps from 1991 to 1 993 in the area polluted by the Severonikel smelter on the Kola Penins ula. The total catch was 869 specimens belonging to 21 species. The ca tches peaked in sites representing the earlier stages of forest declin e, being about two times as large as in the unpolluted area. The noctu id moths were heterogeneous in their response to pollution impact: (1) Xestia rhaetica, X. speciosa and Eurois occultus showed a clinal decl ine towards the emission source, (2) Diarsia mendica peaked at slightl y polluted sites, (3) Acronicta auricoma, Hyppa rectilinea, Apamea mai llardi and Xestia alpicola were most abundant in moderately polluted a reas, (4) a mountain tundra species, Polia conspicua, was collected in heavily polluted sites only. However, neither species richness nor di versity of Noctuidae were affected by pollution.