ISOLATED POPULATIONS OF THE WINTER MOTH, OPEROPHTERA-BRUMATA (LEPIDOPTERA, GEOMETRIDAE), THEIR HEAVY-METAL CONTENT AND PARASITISM

Ten dominant heavy metals were analyzed in adults of the winter moth, Operophtera brumata (L.), from six sites in four isolated localities i n South Bohemia. At all of the sites, metal concentrations conformed t o the order Zn> Fe> Cu> Mn> Ni> Pb> Co> Cd> Cr> Hg. The highest concen tration of toxic metals (lead and cadmium) was found in moths associat ed with trees along the main road in Plastovice (3.1 and 1.1 ppm, resp ectively), while it was lowest in the Cervene Blato peat bog (1.1 and 0.1 ppm, respectively). The main parasitoids were two tachinid flies, Cyzenis albicans Fall. and Phorocera obscura Fall., and one ichneumoni d wasp, Agrypon flaveolatum Grav. Overall parasitism was low (2.8 and 5.9% in 1991 and 1992, respectively). The highest percentage of parasi tism was on larvae in the unpolluted Cervene Blato bog (4.8 and 28.3% in 1991 and in 1992, respectively), and the lowest on apple trees alon g the main road in Plastovice, which was the most polluted site of the four localities.