Biodiversity of Cyprus by NGO Protection of the Natural Heritage and the Biodiversity of Cyprus

The rich and rare biodiversity in Cyprus. The Cyprus biodiversity includes 1908 plants, 780 seashells, 250 fishes, more than 7.000 insects, 410 birds including migratory, 31 mammals, 9 snakes, 11 lizards,three amphibians, 120 land snails, fungi estimated 5-8 thousandand and three turtles.These numbers continually increase as a result of researc. Also see All about Cyprus. From George Konstantinou. Email - fanigeorge@hotmail.com - Το υλικό της ιστοσελίδας αποτελεί πνευματική ιδιοκτησία.

Thursday, 6 August 2015

Platyrhinus resinosus (Scopoli, 1763) - Cyprus

Family: Anthribidae

Photos Akrotiri, 30/1/2015 by George Konstantinou

Pimelia bajula (Klug, 1830) - Cyprus

Family Tenebrionidae

Pimelia is a genus of darkling beetles in the subfamily Pimeliinae

Photos Geri, 25/1/2015 by George Konstantinou

Oxythyrea noemi (Reiche & Saulcy, 1856) - Cyprus

Family: Scarabaeidae
The genus Oxythyrea consists of a number of chafer beetle species. Members are typically about 10-15 mm in size, and are usually black with white dots or lines on the thorax, elytra, and abdomen; each species has its own distinctive pattern. Oxythyrea are active during the day, and are often found on flowers, feeding.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Geri, 7/4/2015 by George Konstantinou

Oenopia conglobata (Linnaeus, 1758) - Cyprus

Oenopia conglobata is a species of Ladybird (Coccinellidae) native to continental Europe, Asia and Africa. Its colloquial names in Germany are 'Poplar Ladybird' and Kugelige ('Spherical', or perhaps 'Bullet') Ladybird.
The adult beetles are 3.5 to 5 mm long and have oval, slightly curved bodies. The elytra are light pink or pale yellow with a black seam, bearing eight square black spots varying in size and sometimes flowing into each other. There are also completely black colored specimens. The pronotum is light beige and bears seven black, symmetrically arranged spots. The head is black and white. The antennae are yellow, but slightly darker coloured at the end; the legs are yellow brown.
Oenopia conglobata is found in Europe except in the North, North Africa and the temperate regions of Asia, but absent from the British Isles and the Northwest. The species lives in mixed forests of the lower altitudes, being found mainly on poplar, pine, larch, and Prunus species such as bird cherries.
Like most types of ladybirds the adults and larvae of Oenopia conglobata eat aphids.
The beetles overwinter under the bark of trees, mostly poplars, elms, plane, oak and horse chestnut. The species is also found nesting between the panes of double-glazed windows.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Geri, 7/4/2015 by George Konstantinou

Oedemera (Oedemera) crassipes (Ganglbauer, 1881) - Cyprus

Oedemera is a genus of beetles belonging to the family Oedemeridae subfamily Oedemerinae.
Species in the genus Oedemera include slender, soft-bodied beetles of medium size, between 5 and 20 mm of length. Their colors may be bright and metallic (green, golden, copper), black and yellow and brown and black. The jaws are bifid at the apex, the last segment of maxillary palps is narrow and elongated, the antennae are long and threadlike. The elytra of most species are narrowed behind exposing part of the hind wings. The pronotum lacks lateral edges and is much narrower than elytra. The tibiae have two apical spines, in most species the hind femora of males are strongly dilated.

The species of the genus Oedemera feed on pollen and nectar and their body is covered with abundant pubescence on which pollen grains remain attached, thus contributing to pollination of the plants they frequent.

The species of the subgenus Oncomera fly at dusk and at night, visiting the flowers and inflorescences of aromatic shrubs and various plants (Clematis, Crataegus, Tilia, Quercus, etc.).

By contrast, the species of the subgenus Stenaxis and Oedemera s. str. are diurnal, flying in full sun in the middle of the day and visiting flowers of different families such as Asteraceae, Cistaceae, Apiaceae, etc..

This genus includes about 80 species, distributed from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa to Kamchatka, Kuriles, Japan and Taiwan, with some species in North Eastern Region.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Lefkara, 8/4/2015 by George Konstantinou

Megischia curvimana (Reitter 1890) - Cyprus

Family. Tenebrionidae

Photos Nicosia, 14/4/2015 by George Konstantinou

Lixus scolopax (Boheman 1835) - Cyprus

Family. Curculionidae

Lixus is a genus of true weevils in the beetle family Curculionidae. There are at least 950 described species in Lixus

Photos Nicosia, 7/4/2015 by George Konstantinou

Lixus cardui (Olivier) - Cyprus

Family Curculionidae.

Lixus cardui is a species of true weevil found in Europe

It was introduced in Australia to control scotch thistle Onopordum acanthium, an invasive weed.

Photos Nicosia, 7/4/2015 by George Konstantinou

Lilioceris faldermanni (Guerin-Meneville, 1829) - Cyprus

Lilioceris is a genus of beetles in the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. The genus was first scientifically described in 1912 by Edmund Reitter. Lilioceris belongs to the subfamily Criocerinae and tribe Criocerini (Latreille, 1807).

The family of beetles are of importance in horticulture because of their impact on the cultivation of lilies. The Lilioceris cheni species was introduced into Central Florida by biologists to try and control the spread of invasive air potato plants.

Species of Lilioceris are between 4–10 mm long. The body has a long narrow shape, with a pronounced shoulder between the elytra andpronotum. Both the larvae and the adult (imago) beetles feed on plants.

Lilioceris are holometabolous, having a complete metamorphosis. The larvae proceed to a pupation stage to develop into adults.

There are well over 100 species, with 80 in Asia alone.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Cyprus the species host on Fritillaria persica L.

Photos Lefkara, 12/3/2015 by George Konstantinou

Hippodamia variegata (Goeze, 1777) - Cyprus

Hippodamia variegata is a species of black-spotted lady beetles belonging to the family Coccinellidae, subfamily Coccinellinae.

It is present in the whole Europe, in the East Palearctic ecozone, in the Near East, in North Africa and in the Oriental region.

Head and pronotum are white-yellowish with a central black spot mask shaped. Elytra are red with a very variable number of black points (from zero up to thirteen).

The adults grow up to 3–6 millimetres (0.12–0.24 in) and can be encountered from March through October. They mainly feed on aphids.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Amathounta, 7/4/2013 by George Konstantinou