INFLUENCE OF ALTITUDE ON ADULT EMERGENCE AND DYNAMICS OF KALTENBACHIOLA-STROBI (WINNERTZ) (DIPTERA, CECIDOMYIIDAE) POPULATIONS AND ITS PARASITES IN THE TATRA-NATIONAL-PARK, POLAND

A field study on Kaltenbachiola strobi (WINNERIZ) (Dipteia: Cecidomyii dae), was carried out between 1987 and 1993 in the highest mountain ra nge in the Western Carpathians located within the Tatra National Park, in southern Poland. Rearing and analysis of 5 780 cones of Picea abie s (L.) KARST., collected from trees growing at different altitudes, yi elded 30,478 individuals of Kaltenbachiola strobi, which infested 89.1 0% of the cones. In case of 29.81% of cones there were more than 20 la rvae of K. strobi per cone. It was shown that K. scrobi in the Tatra M ts. is more abundant in spruce stands of the upper mountain forest zon e. Significant connections between the time of cone infestation by K. strobi and its parasitoids and characteristic phenophases in spruce fo liage and cone development, and alsb the development of selected veget ation of the forest floor at different heights above sea level were de termined. It was shown that the population dynamics of K, strobi had t endency to alternate the increase and decrease in numbers every two ye ars. It was also discovered that every two years spruce cones were inh abited by the population of K: strobi with increased percentage of ind ividuals having prolonged diapause. In total, the parasitoids reduced the population of K. strobi by about 16-22.63%. Parasitism of K. strob i in the lower mountain forest zone was higher than in the upper zone. Triplatygaster contorticornis RATZ. (Hymenoptera: Platygasteridae), T orymus azureus BOHEMAN (Hymenoptera: Torymidae) and Tetrastichus strob ilanae RATZ (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) were most efficient in reduction of the population of K. strobi, and in the lower mountain forest zone T. azureus was the dominant parasitoid species, while in the upper zo ne T. contorticornis and T. strobilanae. It was shown that a considera ble part of the populations of T. azureus, T. contorticornis and T. st robilanae have their diapause prolonged and highly synchronized with t he diapause of their host.