THE BROWN LACEWING MEGALOMUS TINEOIDES RAMBUR, 1842 
IN THE BALKAN PENINSULA (NEUROPTERA: HEMEROBIIDAE)
Dušan De v e t a k
1
, a na Na h ir Nić
2
& Colin W. Pl a Nt
3
1
Chair of a nimal Physiology and e thology, Department of Biology, 
Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, 
k oroška cesta 160, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia 
e -mail: dusan.devetak@guest.arnes.si
2
National Museum of Natural h istory, Bulgarian a cademy of Sciences, 
t sar Osvoboditel Blvd 1, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
e -mail: ana.diaphana@gmail.com
3
14 West r oad, Bishops Stortford, h ertfordshire, CM23 3QP, United k ingdom
e -mail: cpauk1@ntlworld.com
Abstract - Brown lacewings are insufficiently investigated in the Balkan Peninsula.
t he brown lacewing Megalomus tineoides r ambur, 1842 is reported for the first
time for a lbania and North Macedonia. t he male genitalia, variability of the pattern
of the wing markings and natural habitats of this species are illustrated.
k e y WOr DS: Neuropterida, hemerobiids, a lbania, North Macedonia
Izvleček – r Ja v i Mr e Že k r il e C MEGALOMUS TINEOIDES r a MBUr , 1842
Na Ba l k a NSk e M POl Ot Ok U (Ne Ur OPt e r a : h e Me r OBiiDa e )
Na Balkanskem polotoku so rjavi mrežekrilci (h emerobiidae) razmeroma slabo
raziskani. Poročamo o prvih najdbah vrste  Megalomus tineoides r ambur, 1842 za
a lbanijo in Severno Makedonijo. v članku so predstavljeni genitalije samca, varia-
bilnost barvnega vzorca v krilih in naravni habitati vrste.
k l JUč Ne Be Se De : Neuropterida, rjavi mrežekrilci, a lbanija, Severna Makedonija
Introduction 
t he family h emerobiidae, brown lacewings, with approximately 550 species, is
distributed worldwide (Monserrat 1990, Oswald 1993, a spöck et al. 2001, t auber et
131
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LJUBLJANA, DECEMBER 2020    Vol. 28, øt. 2: 131–139

al. 2009). a dult brown lacewings are omnivorous, but a major portion of their prey
consists of aphids, phylloxerids and spider mites which makes them important in the
biological control of pest arthropods (New 1975, Stelzl 1991, Canard 2001, Devetak
& k lokočovnik 2016).
in e urope (in the sense of a spöck et al. 2015) there are 62 brown lacewing species
listed, with 43 species in 7 genera in the Balkan Peninsula (a spöck et al. 2001, Popov
& l etardi 2010). t he brown lacewing genus Megalomus r ambur, 1842 containing
approximately 40 species is widely distributed in North and South a merica, e urope,
northern a frica and a sia, but absent from a ustralia and sub-Saharan a frica (k immins
1935, Monserrat 1990, Oswald 1993). in the Balkan Peninsula, the genus is represented
by all four e uropean species: Megalomus tortricoides r ambur, 1842, M. hirtus (l in-
naeus, 1761), M. tineoides r ambur, 1842 and M. pyraloides r ambur, 1842 (a spöck
et al. 2001, Popov & l etardi 2010). 
When taking into account the morphology of the male genitalia as a criterion for
identification, Megalomus tineoides is clearly separated from other three closely related
e uropean species (k immins 1935, a spöck et al. 1980, Makarkin 1986). k nowledge
of the ecology and distribution of M. tineoides is poor; usually only single specimens
have been collected. t he species is distributed in southern parts of e urope (including
south of Switzerland), North a frica and western parts of a sia: t urkey, a rmenia and
r ussian Federation (Dagestan) (Makarkin 1986, a spöck et al. 2001, Canbulat 2007,
a rı 2014). in the Balkan Peninsula M. tineoides has been reported in Bulgaria (Dobosz
& Popov 2018), Croatia (a spöck et al. 1980, Devetak 1992a,b), Greece (a spöck 1962,
a spöck et al. 1980), and Serbia (Podlesnik et al. 2019). 
a lthough the Balkan neuropterid fauna has been studied intensively in recent years
(e.g. Devetak & r ausch 2016, Dobosz & Popov 2018, Devetak & Jakšić 2019) the
brown lacewing fauna in the peninsula is still poorly known (see k lokočovnik et al.
2014 and Devetak & r ausch 2016 for a lbania, Podlesnik et al. 2019 for Serbia). t he
aim of this study is to present first records of the occurrence of the brown lacewing
Megalomus tineoides in two countries in Southern e urope and summarize new and
existing data on the distribution and ecology for the species in the Balkan Peninsula.  
Material and methods
Specimens were collected using portable light traps with 8 Watt actinic (368 nm)
and 8 Watt black light luminescent tubes, all powered by 12 v olt batteries. a ddition-
ally, a Finnish tent trap with a 160 Watt Mv bulb at the top of the pole and a 20 Watt
(368 nm) black light lamp over the catching pot below were used. a n additional 20
Watt (368 nm) lamp was also positioned about 70 m from the tent trap. a ll traps ran
throughout the night. 
Specimens were preserved in 70% ethanol and deposited in the first author’s col-
lection. r eliable identification of Megalomus-specimens is only possible by means
of examination of male genitalia (Figs. 1,2). Genital preparations of voucher specimens
were made by clearing the apex of the abdomen in saturated k Oh solution. For iden-
tification we used the fundamental literature: a spöck et al. (1980), Makarkin (1986).
Acta entomologica slovenica, 28 (2), 2020
132

Photos of the genital preparations and the wings were taken with a stereoscopic
zoom microscope Nikon SMZ 800 with a mounted digital camera Nikon DS-Fi2 and
processed with NiS-e lements D 4.20 software (Nikon, 2011). t he map of distribution
of the species was created with r Studio (2020) using the ggplot2 (Wickham et al.
2020) and ggmap (k ahle et al. 2019) packages.  
Results
Megalomus tineoides Rambur, 1842
l iterature records  
a spöck (1962): Greece: l itochoro. a spöck et al. (1980): Croatia: Split; Greece:
Crete. Devetak (1992b): Croatia: Split. Dobosz & Popov (2018): Bulgaria: Struma
v alley: Skakavitsa r ailway Station; Sandanski; k arlanovo: Ne of Melnik; Melnik;
Black Sea Coast: Obzor. Podlesnik et al. (2019): Serbia: t rnava village near Preševo.
Material examined (Figs. 1-4)
in a period 2015-2019 a total of 25 males were collected in a lbania, North Mace-
donia and Serbia. 
a lbania:
Dibër County; Mt. t hanës, near Bulqizë town, above Plani i Bardhë village, 767
m, 41°28'34.3"N 020°09'19.4"e , 30.iX.2018, 3 ♂, leg. a . Nahirnić & S. Beshkov. 
Duøan Devetak, Ana Nahirniå, Colin W. Plant: The brown lacewing Megalomus tineoides Rambur, 1842 in the Balkan Peninsula
133
Fig. 1. Male genitalia of Megalomus tineoides, Demir k apija, North Macedonia.
Photo: D. Devetak.
Fig. 2. Male genitalia of M. tineoides, Mt. Mali me Gropë, a lbania; 5-6 denticles
are visible at the tip of the ectoproct. Photo: D. Devetak.

Fier County: near a rdenica monastery, above k olonjë town, 127 m, 40°49'35.4"N
019°35'17.5"e ,  2.Xi.2018, 3 ♂, leg. a . Nahirnić & S. Beshkov.
Gjirokastër County: Përmet municipality, near Benjë-Novoselë village, 437 m,
40°14'39''N 020°25'22''e ,  20.X.2017, 1 ♂, 2 ♀, leg. a . Nahirnić & S. Beshkov. 
l ezhë County: Munellë Mt., above Mesul village, 1400 m, 41°56'56.8"N
020°05'33.4"e , 7.v ii.2019, 1 ♂ (darker individual), leg. a . Nahirnić & S. Beshkov. 
Shkodër County: Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mts. (=Prokletije Mts), Malësi e Madhe
municipality, above the Cemi Selcës river valley near Gropat e Selcës village, 1236
m a.s.l., 42°32'26"N 019°41'45"e , 16.v iii.2018, 2 ♂, leg. S. Beshkov, a . Nahirnić &
C. W. Plant.
t irana County: Dajt Mt., Qafa e Mollës Pass, 675 m, 41°21'51.5"N 019°57'55.7"e ,
1.Xi.2018, 1 ♂, leg. a . Nahirnić & S. Beshkov; 30.iX.2019, 1 ♂, leg. a . Nahirnić &
S. Beshkov. 
t irana County: Mt. Mali me Gropë (=Mt. Mali me Gropa), southern slopes, north-
west from Burimas village above Shëngjergi village (Fig. 5), 1400 m a.s.l.,
41°21'11.34''N 020°02'38.23''e , 13.v iii.2018, 1 ♂, leg. C.W. Plant & S. Beshkov. 
v lorë county: ionian Sea Coast, Palasë village near Dhërmi, 274 m, 40°10'35''N
019°36'21''e , 6.v i.2016, 2 ♂, leg. a . Nahirnić & S. Beshkov. 
First records in a lbania.  
Serbia: 
Preševo town, 2 km W t rnava village, 696 m, 42°16'33''N 021°36'57''e , light
trap, 18.iX.2015, 1 ♂, a . Nahirnić & S. Beshkov leg.
Acta entomologica slovenica, 28 (2), 2020
134
Fig. 3. Wings of M. tineoides, Preševo, Serbia with typical light pattern of the
wings. Photo: D. Devetak.
Fig. 4. Wings of M. tineoides, Demir k apija, North Macedonia with darker pattern
of the wings. Photo: D. Devetak.

North Macedonia: 
v ardar r egion: Demir k apija, Besvica village e , gorge of Besvički dol river, 255
m, 41°22'58"N 022°11'45"e , light traps; 05.v .2017, 1 ♂; 28.X.2018, 6 ♂; 13.v ii.2019,
3 ♂; all a .Nahirnić & S.Beshkov leg. (Fig. 6). 
First record in North Macedonia.  
Distribution of the species in the Balkan Peninsula is shown in Fig. 7.
in Demir k apija, North Macedonia, two dozen Megalomus-females and a few
males of Megalomus tortricoides were also collected. Some of the females were
typical for one of the two species, but the identity of the rest was uncertain, due to the
co-occurrence of the two species. 
Variability of the wing pattern
a male from the site at Preševo, Serbia has wings with light markings, typical for
M. tineoides (Fig. 3). in contrast, a male from Mt. Mali me Gropë, a lbania and most
of males from North Macedonia (Fig. 4) have much darker pattern of the wings
which is not a typical characteristic for this species. 
Ecology
in Mt. Mali me Gropë, a lbania the male was collected on the southern slopes
of the mountain, characterized by dry rocky grasslands with sporadic shrubs and
screes, limestone (Fig. 5). in Mt. t hanës, a lbania M. tineoides was collected on
dry rocky grasslands on serpentinites. Near a rdenica, a lbania it was collected in
maquis. in Mt. Munellë, a lbania its habitat was mountain grasslands on lime-
stone.
Duøan Devetak, Ana Nahirniå, Colin W. Plant: The brown lacewing Megalomus tineoides Rambur, 1842 in the Balkan Peninsula
135
Fig. 5. Dry rocky grasslands with sporadic shrubs, Mt. Mali me Gropë, a lbania.
Photo: a . Nahirnić.
Fig. 6. Pseudomaquis and rocky grasslands with sporadic shrubs, vicinity of
Besvica village, Demir k apija, North Macedonia. Photo: a . Nahirnić. 

in Demir k apija, North Macedonia M. tineoides occurred in dry rocky grasslands,
pseudomaquis and transition from dry rocky grasslands with sporadic shrubs to pseu-
domaquis, i.e. mixed sclerophyllous evergreen and deciduous shrub thickets consisting
of Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean xerophilic shrubs and small trees (in Demir
k apija: Fraxinus ornus l ., Juniperus excelsa M. Bieb., Juniperus oxycedrus l ., Pal-
iuris spina-christi Mill., Pistacia terebinthus l ., Phillyrea latifolia l ., and Quercus
pubescens Willd.) (Fig. 6).
Beshkov & Nahirnić (2016) described the habitat at the collecting place near
Preševo, Serbia as conforming to the Serbian e UNiS habitat classification (l akušić
et al. 2005) as e 1.2B2 [Serpentine Steppe on shallow, rocky soil] in a forest belt
of Quercus pubescens Willd. and Q. petraea (Matt.) l iebl. and thickets as a result of
degradation of that forest.
Acta entomologica slovenica, 28 (2), 2020
136
Fig. 7. t he present known distribution of M. tineoides in the Balkan Peninsula.
Orig. D. Devetak. 

Discussion
in this paper, the occurrence of the brown lacewing M. tineoides in a lbania and
North Macedonia is confirmed for the first time. t he distribution of this species in
Bulgaria has been mapped very recently by Dobosz & Popov (2018).
in various parts of e urope, this species occurs on shrubs and rarely on trees, espe-
cially on oaks (Quercus) (a spöck et al. 1980). in fact, M. tineoides is the species that
does not reveal correlation with any plant specific substrate species (Monserrat &
Marín 1996), it is collected mostly at light. in this paper, the habitats of the species,
i.e. dry grasslands and mixed sclerophyllous evergreen and deciduous shrub thickets
(pseudomaquis) in North Macedonia and serpentine steppes in Serbia are described
in detail. 
Acknowledgements
We are indebted to r oland Dobosz (Bytom, Poland) for confirmation of the iden-
tification of a few specimens in North Macedonia. We are grateful Stoyan Beshkov
(Sofia, Bulgaria) for assistance in field. t his research was supported partly by the
Slovenian r esearch a gency – the r esearch Programme Computationally intensive
Complex Systems (Grant. No. P1-0403) and infrastructure r esearch Programme
COr e @UM (Grant. No. i0-0029).
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