Friday, 30 September 2016
Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Caliaeschna microstigma (Schneider, 1845) - Cyprus
Family: AeshnidaeRange Description: Caliaeschna microstigma is an East Mediterranean species extending from the Balkans to Asia Minor, the Levant and Iran. An additional record originates from the very south of Turkmenistan. In Europe it ranges from the Adriatic coast of Croatia to the southern tips of Greece and Bulgaria. It is lacking in Crete, however, where it is replaced by Boyeria cretensis in similar habitats,
Population: Adults patrol continuously over the river bed and rather few are seen together. However remains of exuviae on the banks show that most of the localities produce an important population.Caliaeschna microstigma is confined to stony brooks and small rivers which are at least partly shaded. The habitats are fast running with sections of stiller water where the larvae are present (Breuer and Douma-Petridou, 2000). The species is mostly found in hilly and mountainous regions from 0 to 1650 m a.s.l.
Major Threat(s): In most of the species' range, drying up of running waters due to rainfall deficit and direct piping at springs for irrigation and human consumption is the main threat for this species and has already resulted in local extinctions. This is expected to increase throughout the whole range of this species as wild piping is a usual process throughout the species range and is uncontrolled. Removal of gallery forests along brooks and rivers (forest fires, agriculture, building etc) will also lead to extinction of the species. From http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/165467/0
Photos at Orkontas 8/5/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis
Segestria florentina (Rossi, 1790) - Tube-dwelling spider - Cyprus
Family: SegestriidaeSegestria florentina is the biggest European segestriid spider. Some common names are tube web spider or cellar spider, although neither are exclusive to this species.
Description
Females can reach a body length of 22 mm, males up to 15 mm. This species is much darker than others of the same genus. While subadult spiders have a greyish opisthosoma with a marking similar to Segestria senoculata, adults are of a uniform black, sometimes with a green iridescent shine, especially on the chelicerae, which reflect with a striking green. The sexes are similar. Adults occur from June to November.Habits
They spin a tubular web, often in cracks of buildings. Six or more silken lines radiate from it, and the spider waits in the entrance, touching the lines with the frontal six legs. Prey triggering these lines get caught, and the spider immediately retreats again to eat it. However, in some cases the spider will kill and begin to consume its prey in the opening of the tube, but will retreat further if disturbed. They hunt nocturnal insects such as moths and cockroaches. Bees and wasps are always bitten at the head end, so the sting will face away from the spider.The female lays her eggs inside the tube web. Sometimes she will die after the spiderlings have hatched, and they will eat their mother. The spider can be lured to the entrance by gently touching the triplines with a stick in the evening or at night.
Distribution
Originally a species of the Mediterranean region as far east as Georgia, it can now be found in several large British towns (for example Bristol), where they were probably introduced via seaports at least since 1845. It has also been found in Argentina, Australia and several Atlantic islands, where it was probably also introduced.
Bite
Its bite is reportedly quite painful. It has been compared to a "deep injection", and the pain can last for several hours. Two neurotoxins and one insecticide were found in the venom. The venom reduces the rate and amount of sodium inactivation. Bites are reported to feel like a bee sting, which would make it a 2 on the Schmidt sting pain index, but does not have any lasting effects. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segestria_florentina
Photos at Orkontas 16/5/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis
Segestria bavarica C. L. Koch, 1843 - Tube-dwelling spider - Cyprus
Family: Segestriidae
Segestria bavarica is a species of Tube-dwelling spiders. The tube-dwelling spiders (family Segestriidae) consist of two large and widespread genera (Segestria and Ariadna) and two smaller genera, Citharoceps and Gippsicola. The family is easily recognized because its members have six eyes (most spiders have eight) arranged in a semicircle and have the first three pairs of legs arranged forward (most spiders have only the first two pairs so arranged.) The leg structure appears to be an adaptation for living in silken tubes, which unlike those of the atypical tarantulas, may branch and are often built in tree bark fissures, as well as under stones. These are haplogyne primitive araneomorphs related to the Dysderidae, being placed in clade or superfamily Dysderoidea. Both Segestria and Ariadna are known from North America, South America, Eurasia, Africa and New Zealand. This wide distribution attests to the ancient origin of this family. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tube-dwelling_spider
Photos at Neo Chorio 4/9/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis
Uroctea durandi (Latreille, 1809) - Cyprus
Family: OecobiidaeUroctea durandi is a Mediterranean spider of about 16mm, dark with five yellow spots on its back. It lives under rocks, where it constructs an upside-down tent-like hanging web about 4 cm in diameter. From each of the six openings two signaling threads protrude; When an insect or millipede touches one of these threads, the spider lunges out of the respective opening and catches its prey. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uroctea_durandi
Photos at Agros 27/5/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis
Icosium tomentosum ssp. atticum Ganglbauer, 1882 - Longhorn beetle - Cyprus
Family: Cerambycidae Εξάπλωση: Μεσόγειος: το υποείδος Icosium tomentosum ssp. tomentosum εξαπλώνετε από την Βόρεια Αφρική και την Ιβηρική Χερσόνησο στη δυτική Ιταλία. Ενώ το I. tomentosum atticum είναι μάλλον διαδεδομένο σε όλη την Ανατολική Μεσόγειο, από την ανατολική Ιταλία και τη Μάλτα στην Συρία, την Ιορδανία και το Ισραήλ. Ένας απομονωμένος πληθυσμός είναι γνωστός από τη Νότια Γαλλία.
Πληροφορίες: Οι προνύμφες του αναπτύσσονται σε νεκρό ξύλο ειδών της οικογενείας Cupressaceae: Cupressus sp, Callitris propinqua, Tetraclinis articulata και Juniperus oxycedrus (Gianfranco Sama et al., 2010). Μέγεθος 9-14mm , τα ενήλικα πετούν από Ιούνιο μέχρι Ιούλιο (www.catalogueoflife.org).English text
Distribution: Mediterranean: the subspecies Icosium tomentosum ssp. tomentosum is spread from North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula to western Italy. While I. tomentosum atticum is rather widespread throughout the eastern Mediterranean, from the eastern Italy and Malta to Syria, Jordan and Israel. An isolated population is known from southern France.
Information: The larvae of the species feed on dead wood of Cupressaceae family: Cupressus sp, Callitris propinqua, Tetraclinis articulata and Juniperus oxycedrus (Gianfranco Sama et al., 2010). Size 9-14mm, the adults fly from June to July (www.catalogueoflife.org).
Photos at Akrotiri 18/8/2015 and Agios Ilarion 12/7/2016, by George Konstantinou and Michael Hadjiconstantis.
Το παρεκκλήσι του Αγίου Αλεξάνδρου στο χωριό Κόρνος - The chapel of Ayios Alexandros at Kornos village - Cyprus
Το παρεκκλήσι του Αγίου Αλεξάνδρου, έχει κτιστεί πρόσφατα.Το μικρό παρεκκλήσι, βρίσκεται κτισμένο έξω από το χωριό Κόρνος προς το χωριό Πυργά, κάπου αριστερά, ανάμεσα σε αραιά πεύκα και κυπαρίσσια.
Το όνειρο και η δίψα, του συγχωρεμένου πρόσφατα πάτερ Χριστόφορου Οικονόμου, επιτέλους έγινε πραγματικότητα. Με αφορμή τα γεγονότα και τις απώλειες αγνοουμένων παλικαριών μας, κατά την τουρκική εισβολή, κτίστηκε η εκκλησία αυτή, του Αγίου Αλεξάνδρου.
Το μικρό παρεκκλήσι, κτίστηκε μετά από εισήγηση και με διάφορα βοηθήματα, εισφορές, δάνεια που ανέλαβε ο ίδιος να οργανώσει και περισυλλέξει. Κτίστηκε για χάριν των αγνοουμένων παλικαριών της Τουρκικής Εισβολής του 1974, και το όνομα του παρεκκλησιού αφιερώθηκε στο Άγιο Αλέξανδρο, ίδιο όνομα του αγνοούμενου γιου, του πάτερ Οικονόμου Χριστόφορου. Όταν επισκεφτείτε το παρεκκλήσι, σίγουρα θα δείτε σε περίοπτο χώρο, αναρτημένες τις φωτογραφίες των αγνοουμένων παλικαριών μας. Ο πόνος βαρύς για τον πάτερ Οικονόμο, αλλά το έργο του μεγάλο. Απεβίωσε πρόσφατα, τον Φεβρουάριο 2004.Το παρεκκλήσι λειτουργείτο από τον πάτερ Οικονόμο.
Πηγή http://www.kornos.org/churches_alexander.shtm
The chapel of Ayios Alexandros has been built recently. The small chapel is found built outside the village of Kornos towards the village of Pyrga, somewhere left, between pines and cypresses.
The dream of the recently retired father Christoforos Economos finally became real. On the occasion for the losses of our ignored people during the Turkish invasion, it was built the church of Ayios Alexandros.
The small chapel was built after his proposal and with various aids, contributions, loans that were organized and collected by himself. It was built for the sake of the ignored lads of the Turkish Invasion of 1974, and the name of the chapel was dedicated to Ayios Alexandros, because Christoforos Economos had an ignored son having the name Alexandros. When you visit the chapel, you will be able to see the photographs of our ignored lads. The pain was very heavy for father Christoforos, and his work was also big. He died recently, in February 2004.
The chapel was functioned by father Christoforos.
From http://www.kornos.org/english/churches_alexander.shtm
Photos 6/3/2016 by George Konstantinou
See also
Η Εκκλησία Αγίας Αικατερίνης στο χωριό Πυργά - The Agia Aikaterini Church (Saint Catherine) at Pyrga Village - Cyprus
See also
Ένα Σημαντικό μεσαιωνικό μνημείο του χωριού είναι η σωζόμενη μικρή εκκλησία που, σύμφωνα προς την τοπική παράδοση, είναι αφιερωμένη στην αγία Αικατερίνη. Η εκκλησία αυτή είναι γνωστότερη ως Βασιλικό παρεκκλήσι.
Το Βασιλικό ΠΑΡΕΚΚΛΗΣΙ ΤΗΣ Αγίας Αικατερίνης χτίστηκε στις αρχές του 15ου αιώνα. Είναι Γοτθικού ρυθμού του 14ου αιώνα (όταν άρχισε η παρακμή της γοτθικής τέχνης).
Έχει ορθογώνιο σχήμα με τρεις θύρες και καμαρωτή στέγη που στηρίζεται πάνω σε τρεις ενισχυτικές ζώνες. Είναι χτισμένο με ηφαιστιογενείς πέτρες κυρίως κοκκινωπές και πρασινωπές που μαζεύτηκαν από τη γύρω περιοχή. Εσωτερικά σώζονται αρκετές τοιχογραφίες στον θόλο και στους τοίχους. Η εκκλησία της Αγίας Αικατερίνης αποτελεί σήμερα ένα από τα πιο ενδιαφέροντα απομεινάρια του βασιλείου των Λουζινιανών στην Κύπρο.Δίπλα από την εκκλησία της Αγίας Αικατερίνης, βρίσκεται η νέα εκκλησία της Αγίας Μαρίνας που κτίστηκε τα τελευταία χρόνια.
Πηγή http://www.pyrga.org/church_aikaterini.shtm
An Important mediaeval monument of the village is the extant small church that -according to the local tradition -is dedicated to "Agia Aikaterine" (St. Catherine). This church is better known as "Vasiliko pareklisi" (Royal chapel).
The Royal CHAPEL of St. Catherine was built in the beginning of the 15 th century. It is of the Gothic style from the 14 th century (when the decline of Gothic art started).
It has a rectangular shape with three entrances and an arched roof that stands upon three reinforcement layers. It is made with volcanic rocks, mainly reddish and green ones that were gathered from the surrounding area. Many frescoes are extant in the interior, upon the dome and the walls. The church of St. Catherine is one of today's most interesting relics of the Lusignan kingdom in Cyprus.
Next to St. Catherine's church stands the new church of "Agia Marina" that was built in recent years.
From http://www.pyrga.org/english/church_aikaterini.shtm
Photos 6/3/2016 by George Konstantinou
Η Παλιά Εκκλησία της Αγίας Μαρίνας στο χωριό Πυργά - The old Agia Marina Church (Saint Marina) at Pyrga Village - Cyprus
See also
Η Παλιά Εκκλησία της Αγίας Μαρίνας βρίσκεται στα νότια του χωριού. Είναι κτίσμα του 12ου αιώνα και διατηρεί θολωτή στέγη και νάρθηκα που προστέθηκε μεταγενέστερα.Στο θόλο της διατηρούνται αρκετές μισοφθαρμένες τοιχογραφίες. Είναι από αυτή τη μεσαιωνική εκκλησία που πήρε το όνομα της η καινούργια εκκλησία της κοινότητας.
Σήμερα η εκκλησία της Αγίας Μαρίνας, επιδιορθώνεται με δαπάνες του τμήματος αρχαιοτήτων, της χωριτικής αρχής των Πυργών και δωρεές του Λεβέντειου Παρασκευαϊδειου κέντρου και άλλων πιστών.Στο πίσω μέρος της εκκλησίας βρίσκεται η πρώτη πηγή του χωριού, από την οποία υδρευόταν όλο το χωριό στην παλιά εποχή. Το 1951 έγιναν υδατικά έργα και η υδατοπρομήθεια του χωριού διευκολύνθηκε από μια δεύτερη πηγή.
Πηγή http://www.pyrga.org/church_marina.shtm
The Old Church of St Marina is located in the south of the village. It was built in the 12 th century and retains a domed roof and a narthex (porch) that was added later on.Several half worn-out frescoes are preserved in its dome. It is to this mediaeval church that community's new church owes its name.
Today the church of Agia Marina is being repaired, the expenses paid by the Antiquities Department, the Local Land Authority of Pyrga, and donations by the "Leventio Paraskevaidio" centre and other faithful.In the church's rear side stands the village's first spring, through which the entire village was supplied with water in old times. In 1951 some water-supply projects were and the village's water supply was made easier by a second spring.
Πηγή http://www.pyrga.org/english/church_marina.shtm
Photos 6/3/2016 by George Konstantinou
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