Achna Dam - Φράγμα Άχνας - Cyprus

See also

All about Cyprus - Όλα για την Κύπρο

List of dams and lakes of Cyprus

Το κατεχόμενο χωριό Άχνα - Achna Village - Cyprus

Αγιά Μαρίνα στο κατεχόμενο χωριό Άχνα - Ayia (Saint) Marina Churche at Achna Village

Is a unique natural living habitat which is visited by various migrating birds. It was completed in 1988.

Το Φράγμα της Άχνας βρίσκεται στην επαρχία Αμμοχώστου. Στις παρυφές του Φράγματος υπάρχει αρκετή βλάστηση όπως καλαμιώνες και διάφορα θαμνοειδή. Η περιοχή που περιβάλλει το Φράγμα περιλαμβάνει χωράφια με δημητριακά και οπορωφόρα δέντρα. Είναι ένας σημαντικός υγροβιότοπος και είναι μια από τις σημαντικότερες περιοχές στο νησί για την αναπαραγωγή της Πελλοκατερίνας και του Καλαμοκαννά. Από τις 13 Μαρτίου 2008 η περιοχή έχει χαρακτηρισθεί ως Ζώνη Ειδικής Προστασίας στα πλαίσια του προγράμματος «ΦΥΣΗ 2000

Πτηνοπαρατηρητές  καταγράφουν κάθε φθινόπωρο, κατά τη διάρκεια Σεπτέμβριου και Οκτωβρίου, ένα ασυνήθιστα μεγάλο αριθμό ψαραετών στο φράγμα της Άχνας. Οι ψαραετοί χρησιμοποιούν τον υδροβιότοπο ως στάση κατά τη διάρκεια του αποδημητικού ταξιδιού τους από τη Βόρεια Ευρώπη, όπου αναπαράγονται, προς την Αφρική, όπου διαχειμάζουν. Παρόλα αυτά ακόμα και αυτό το υπέροχο είδος πουλιού δεν πέρασε απαρατήρητο από τους λαθροθήρες και ένας ψαραετός βρέθηκε θανάσιμα πυροβολημένος τον προηγούμενο μήνα.  

Το φράγμα της Άχνας έχει χαρακτηριστεί ως Ζώνη Ειδικής Προστασίας (ΖΕΠ) σύμφωνα με την Οδηγία για τα Πτηνά (2009/147/ΕΚ) και έχει αναγνωριστεί ως Σημαντική Περιοχή για τα Πουλιά (ΣΠΠ) από το BirdLife International. Αποτελεί ένα πολύ σημαντικό υδροβιότοπο στην Κύπρο και συνολικά έχουν καταγραφεί 78 είδη του Παραρτήματος Ι της Οδηγίας για τα πουλιά, τοποθετώντας τον στην κορυφή της λίστας για περιοχές για πτηνοπαρατήρηση. Όσο για τους ψαραετούς, τρέφονται μόνο με ψάρια τα οποία πιάνουν με περίτεχνες τεχνικές ψαρέματος, και σε πολλές χώρες προσελκύουν εκατοντάδες και χιλιάδες οικοτουρίστες για να δουν και να φωτογραφίσουν αυτά τα υπέροχα πουλιά ενώ ψαρεύουν. 

Παρόλο το καθεστώς προστασίας που έχει το φράγμα, υπάρχει σοβαρό πρόβλημα λαθροθηρίας και παράνομης παγίδευσης πτηνών στην περιοχή. Το περιστατικό με τον πυροβολημένο ψαραετό δεν αποτελεί μεμονωμένο συμβάν αλλά αντιθέτως, η λαθροθηρία στο φράγμα της Άχνας είναι εκτεταμένη, με σοβαρές επιπτώσεις στην ορνιθοπανίδα. Επιπλέον η παράνομη παγίδευση πουλιών με μη επιλεκτικές μεθόδους όπως δίχτυα και ξόβεργα ήταν εκτεταμένη αυτό το φθινόπωρο, τόσο στο φράγμα της Άχνας όσο και ευρύτερα, συμβάλλοντας σε μια μαζική σφαγή πουλιών, εκ των οποίων πολλά είναι απειλούμενα. Αυτό ουσιαστικά ισοδυναμεί με οικολογική καταστροφή. 

Πτηνοπαρατηρητές έχουν απειληθεί επανειλημμένα από λαθροθήρες και παγιδευτές στο φράγμα της Άχνας αυτό το φθινόπωρο, καταδεικνύοντας ότι οι παρανομούντες είναι πλέον προκλητικοί και δεν ανησυχούν για την πιθανότητα ποινικής δίωξης. Ο Πτηνολογικός Σύνδεσμος Κύπρου κάνει έκκληση στις αρμόδιες αρχές, κυρίως την Υπηρεσία Θήρας και Πανίδας και την Αστυνομία Κύπρου, αλλά και την Αστυνομία των Βρετανικών Βάσεων (μια και μικρό κομμάτι ανήκει στις Βάσεις), να αναλάβουν ουσιαστική δράση για την προστασία αυτού του υδροβιότοπου από τη λαθροθηρία και την παράνομη παγίδευση πτηνών, βάζοντας ως προτεραιότητα την υλοποίηση και εφαρμογή ενός διαχειριστικού σχεδίου. Θα πρέπει να εφαρμοστεί μια ‘μηδενική ανοχή’ σε όλα τα επίπεδα από την Κυπριακή κυβέρνηση εάν επιθυμεί την ουσιαστική εξάλειψη της λαθροθηρίας και της παράνομης παγίδευσης πτηνών.   

ΠΗΓΗ http://www.birdlifecyprus.org/gr/news-50-__________.html

Photos  4/10/2015  by George Konstantinou

Clay Groundling - Nothris verbascella (Denis & Schiffermuller, [1775]) - Cyprus

See also - List of Moths of Cyprus you will find in this blog (Lepidoptera)

Nothris verbascella, the Clay Groundling, is a moth of the Gelechiidae family. It was described by Denis & Schiffermuller in 1775. It is found in almost all of Europe, Transcaucasia, Asia Minor, the Near East and the Russian Far East.

The wingspan is 17–21 mm. There are two generations per year with adults on wing from May to early October.

The larvae feed on Verbascum densiflorum, Verbascum phlomoides and Verbascum thapsus. The larvae live freely at the underside of the leaves of their host plant, causing window feeding. Since the dense layer of felt on the underside of the leaf is left intact, the feeding damage has the appearance of a mine. .From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Geri 5/10/2015  by George Konstantinou

Palumbina guerinii (Stainton, 1858) - Cyprus

See also - List of Moths of Cyprus you will find in this blog (Lepidoptera)

Palumbina guerinii is a moth of the Gelechiidae family. It is found in southern Europe, from the Iberian Peninsula north to France, east toItaly and Greece.
It is considered a pest on pistachio trees. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Photos Nicosia 5/10/2015  by George Konstantinou

Wild cherry, sweet cherry, bird cherry, or gean - Prunus avium L. - Κερασιά - Cyprus

Naturalized invasive

Prunus avium, commonly called wild cherry, sweet cherry, bird cherry, or gean, is a species of cherry native to Europe,Anatolia, Maghreb, and western Asia, from the British Isles south to Morocco and Tunisia, north to the Trondheimsfjord region in Norwayand east to the Caucasus and northern Iran, with a small isolated population in the western Himalaya. The species is widely cultivated in other regions and has become naturalized in North America and Australia.

Prunus avium, in the rose family, has a diploid set of sixteen chromosomes (2n = 16).

All parts of the plant except for the ripe fruit are slightly toxic, containing cyanogenic glycosides.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Troodos 8/7/2015  by George Konstantinou

Heliophanus sp. - Jumping spider - Cyprus

Female

Family: Salticidae

Heliophanus is a genus of the spider family Salticidae (jumping spiders). Most of the almost 150 described species occur in Africa, with many others found in the Palearctic region from Europe to Japan.

Photos at Meneou, 6/9/2015,  by George Konstantinou

Male

Female

Male

Gonocephalum rusticum (Olivier, 1811) - Cyprus

Gonocephalum is a genus of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae.
In the species of this genus the body is quite elongated, the base of pronotum is usually slightly narrower than the base of elytra. The hind wings are developed.

Photos Geri 6/9/2015  by George Konstantinou

Monaeses israeliensis Levy, 1973 - Crab spider - Cyprus

Family: Thomisidae

Monaeses is a genus of crab spiders in the family Thomisidae, containing twenty-seven species.


In Cyprus the only species reported from this genus is Monaeses israeliensis Levy, 1973

Description

Male

Ventral tibial apophysis slightly bent, tip a rounded knob. Retrolateral tibial apophysis star-shaped apically. Prosoma length: 2.1 mm, prosoma width: 1.4 mm. Body colouration yellow-grey or white-grey. Opisthosoma somewhat darker than prosoma, venter with dark longitudinal band along its entire length.

Body length male: 6-7 mm

Female

Epigyne with slightly protruding anterior part, hood-shaped. Prosoma length: 1.9-2.5 mm, Prosoma width: 1.4-1.9 mm.

Body length female: 8-9 mm

(info https://araneae.nmbe.ch)

Photos Meneou 6/9/2015 by George Konstantinou and Lakatamia (10/4/2020) by Michael Hadjiconstantis 

Cuscuta sp. - Λύκος - Cyprus

Cuscuta  (dodder) is a genus of about 100–170 species of yellow, orange, or red (rarely green) parasitic plants. Formerly treated as the only genus in the family Cuscutaceae, it now is accepted as belonging in the morning glory family,Convolvulaceae, on the basis of the work of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. The genus is found throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the world, with the greatest species diversity in subtropical and tropical regions; the genus becomes rare in cool temperate climates, with only four species native to northern Europe.

Folk names include wizards net, devil's guts, devil's hair, devil's ringlet, goldthread, hailweed, hairweed, hellbine, love vine, pull-down, strangleweed, angel hair, and witch's hair.

Dodder can be identified by its thin stems appearing leafless, with the leaves reduced to minute scales. In these respects it closely resembles the similarly parasitic, but unrelated genus Cassytha. From mid-summer to early autumn, the vines can produce small fruit that take the same color as the vine, and are approximately the size of a common pea. It has very low levels of chlorophyll; some species such as Cuscuta reflexa can photosynthesize slightly, while others such as C. europaea are entirely dependent on the host plants for nutrition

Dodder flowers range in color from white to pink to yellow to cream. Some flower in the early summer, others later, depending on the species. The seeds are minute and produced in large quantities. They have a hard coating, and typically can survive in the soil for 5–10 years, sometimes longer.

Dodder seeds sprout at or near the surface of the soil. Although dodder germination can occur without a host, it has to reach a green plant quickly and is adapted to grow towards the nearby plants by following chemosensory clues, If a plant is not reached within 5 to 10 days of germination, the dodder seedling will die. Before a host plant is reached, the dodder, as other plants, relies on food reserves in the embryo; the cotyledons, though present, are vestigial

After a dodder attaches itself to a plant, it wraps itself around it. If the host contains food beneficial to dodder, the dodder produces haustoria that insert themselves into the vascular system of the host. The original root of the dodder in the soil then dies. The dodder can grow and attach itself to multiple plants. In tropical areas it can grow more or less continuously, and may reach high into the canopy of shrubs and trees; in temperate regions it is an annual plant and is restricted to relatively low vegetation that can be reached by new seedlings each spring.

Dodder is parasitic on a very wide variety of plants, including a number of agricultural and horticultural crop species, such as alfalfa,lespedeza, flax, clover, potatoes, chrysanthemum, dahlia, helenium, trumpet vine, ivy and petunias, among others.

Dodder ranges in severity based on its species and the species of the host, the time of attack, and whether any viruses are also present in the host plant. By debilitating the host plant, dodder decreases the ability of plants to resist viral diseases, and dodder can also spread plant diseases from one host to another if it is attached to more than one plant. This is of economical concern in agricultural systems, where an annual drop of 10% yield can be devastating. There has been an emphasis on dodder vine control in order to manage plant diseases in the field

A report published in Science in 2006 demonstrated that dodder use airborne volatile organic compound cues to locate their host plants. Seedlings of Cuscuta pentagona exhibit positive growth responses to volatiles released by tomato and other species of host plants. When given a choice between volatiles released by the preferred host tomato and the non-host wheat, the parasite grew toward the former. Further experiments demonstrated attraction to a number of individual compounds released by host plants and repellance by one compound released by wheat. These results do not rule out the possibility that other cues, such as light, may also play a role in host location

Less is known about host defenses against dodder and other parasitic plants than is known about plant defenses against herbivores and pathogens. In one study, tomato plants were found to employ complex mechanisms to defend against dodder. Two pathways, using jasmonic acid and salicylic acid, were activated in response to attack by Cuscuta pentagona. Dodder attack was also found to induce production of volatiles, including 2-carene, α-pinene, limonene, and β-phellandrene. It is not known if or how these volatiles defend the host, but they could potentially interfere with the dodder's ability to locate and select hosts. Also, the presence of trichomes on the tomato stem effectively blocks the dodder from attaching to the stem

Many countries have laws prohibiting import of dodder seed, requiring crop seeds to be free of dodder seed contamination. Before planting, all clothes should be inspected for dodder seed when moving from an infested area to a non-infested crop. When dealing with an infested area, swift action is necessary. Recommendations include planting a non-host crop for several years after the infestation, pulling up host crops immediately, particularly before the dodder produces seed, and use of preemergent herbicides such as Dacthal in the spring. Examples of non-host crops include grasses and many other monocotyledons. If dodder is found before it chokes a host plant, it may be simply removed from the soil. If choking has begun, the host plant must be pruned significantly lower than the dodder, as dodder is versatile and can grow back if present from haustoria. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Geri 11/4/2015  by George Konstantinou

Thyene imperialis (Rossi, 1846) - Jumping spider - Cyprus

 Thyene imperialis female with a prey

Thyene imperialis Male

Family: Salticidae

Thyene imperialis Male

Thyene is a spider genus of the Salticidae family (jumping spiders).

Description male

Prosoma length: 2.25 mm.

Body length male: 5.35-6.55 mm

Description female

Prosoma length: 3.0 mm.

Body length female: 6.1-8.15 mm

From http://www.araneae.unibe.ch/data/1957/Thyene_imperialis

Photos Nicosia 4/8/2015  by George Konstantinou

Male

 Thyene imperialis female with a prey

Ants - Formica clara (Forel, 1886) - Cyprus

Family: Formicidae

Formica is a genus of ants of the family Formicidae, commonly known as wood ants, mound ants, thatching ants, and field ants.Formica is the type genus of the Formicidae, and of the subfamily Formicinae. The type species of genus Formica is the European red wood ant Formica rufa
As the name wood ant implies, many Formica species live in wooded areas where there exists no shortage of material with which they can thatch their mounds. One shade-tolerant species is F. lugubris. However, sunlight is important to most Formica species, and colonies rarely survive for any considerable period in deeply shaded, dense woodland. The majority of species, especially outside the rufa species group, are inhabitants of more open woodlands or treeless grassland or shrubland. In North America, at least, these habitats had a long history of frequent landscape-scale fires that kept them open before European settlement. Conversion to agriculture and fire suppression have reduced the abundance of most American Formica, while the cessation of traditional haycutting seems to have had the same effect in Europe. However, at least a few Formica species may be found in a wide range of habitats from cities to seasides to grasslands to swamps to forests of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Livadi tou Ppashia 8/7/2015  by George Konstantinou