Wednesday, 21 June 2017
The ascidians or sea squirts - Ασκιδιοειδή - Cyprus
Ascidiacea (commonly known as the ascidians or sea squirts) is a paraphyletic class in the subphylum Tunicata of sac-like marine invertebrate filter feeders. Ascidians are characterized by a tough outer "tunic" made of the polysaccharide cellulose.Ascidians are found all over the world, usually in shallow water with salinities over 2.5%. While members of the Thaliacea and Larvacea (Appendicularia) swim freely like plankton, sea squirts are sessile animals: they remain firmly attached to their substratum, such as rocks and shells.
There are 2,300 species of ascidians and three main types: solitary ascidians, social ascidians that form clumped communities by attaching at their bases, and compound ascidians that consist of many small individuals (each individual is called a zooid) forming colonies up to several meters in diameter.
Sea squirts feed by taking in water through a tube, the oral siphon. The water enters the mouth and pharynx, flows through mucus-covered gill slits (also called pharyngeal stigmata) into a water chamber called the atrium, then exits through the atrial siphon.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascidiacea
Underwater photos at Akrotiri by Kostas Aristeidou
Tuesday, 20 June 2017
Sunday, 18 June 2017
Friday, 16 June 2017
BirdLife Cyprus: Cyprus Bird Report 2013 - Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax) - Photo by George Konstantinou
The report contains 37 colour photos, the 2013 Systematic List of 293 observed species or recognised forms which was compiled from nearly 65,000 records, the 2013 Ringing report, papers on the first Asian Buff-bellied Pipit in Cyprus, the Southern Grey Shrike species complex, the BirdLife Cyprus 2013 monitoring programmes and Cyprus ringing recoveries updated to 2013. The Report includes species charts and tables and a full Cyprus bird List. The front cover features the Eurasian Griffon Vulture, the subject of a reintroduction project -GYPAS.
Unfortunately though the story doesn't have a happy ending as most of you will now know. On 15th December a photograph of a shot bird was sent to BirdLife Cyprus Chairman Melis Charalambides by someone wanting to know what species their friend had shot. The photograph was of a shot Little Bustard and despite the fact that it is claimed that it had been shot in the area of Potamia, the Geri bird had not been seen since 14th. It is too much of a co-incidence and it can be safely assumed that the shot bird was George's bird.
According to P.Flint and P. Stewart in the second edition of 'The Birds of Cyprus' Little Bustard were seen, before 1946, usually in pairs, most winters especially in the Morphou area. They describe it as 'formerly a scarce to fairly common winter visitor to low ground Nov -- Feb'. They also mention many records of shot birds in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The most recent accepted record of a live Little Bustard on the island is from the Paphos area in December 1979. Tellingly however there are reports of shot birds most years and such a report was received less than a month before the Nicosia bird was found. There are authenticated reports of specimens in taxidermist shops that support this otherwise hearsay evidence.
Little Bustard are the smallest member of the bustard family in Europe and are slightly bigger than a Black Francolin although have a more upright stance than that species. It is listed as Near Threatened by BirdLife International due to reduction in range and numbers -- especially in the west of its range - thought to be mainly due to habitat loss and degradation as well as what they describe as low-level hunting pressure. In the west of Europe it occurs in Spain, Portugal, Italy and France and in the east of its range it occurs in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, north-west China, northern Iran and Turkey. Many overwinter eastwards from Turkey to Azerbaijan.
News of the shooting of this individual shocked all who had seen it and other local birdwatchers but giving its confiding nature some
By Jane Stylianou
BirdLife Cyprus: Cyprus Bird Report 2015 - First Lesser Flamingo in Cyprus and a rare leucistic European stonechat - Photos by George Konstantinou
The Report contains 55 colour photos, the 2015 Systematic List of 301 observed species or recognised forms which was compiled from nearly 66,000 records, the 2015 Ringing report, papers on the first Lesser Flamingo in Cyprus, putting geolocators on Cyprus Wheatears, the BirdLife Cyprus 2015 monitoring programmes, the diet of Red-footed Falcons while in Anarita Park, and autumn bird numbers in Western Paphos.
Thursday, 15 June 2017
Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Ένα πολύ ενδιαφέρον ντοκιμαντέρ για τον άγριο Ακάμα - City Free press - Sigmalive - 14.06.2017
See also
Ένα πολύ ενδιαφέρον ντοκιμαντέρ για τον άγριο Ακάμα
14.06.2017
Όταν ο παράδεισος είναι μόνο λίγα μέτρα μακριά!
Την μοναδική και πολύ σημαντική βιοποικιλότητα του Ακάμα θέλησε να αναδείξει και να εξηγήσει ο Πρόεδρος του Συνδέσμου προστασίας φυσικής κληρονομιάς και βιοποικιλότητας της Κύπρου Γιώργος Κωνσταντίνου.
Στο πλαίσιο του Περιφερειακού Συνεδρίου «ΕΕ – Κύπρος Αειφόρος Ανάπτυξη – Φυσικοί Πόροι» προβλήθηκε μια ταινία για την βιοποικιλότητα της περιοχής του Ακάμας η οποία αναλύει τη σημαντικότητα της υπάρχουσας χλωρίδας και πανίδας, που φιλοξενείται στην περιοχή.
14.06.2017
Όταν ο παράδεισος είναι μόνο λίγα μέτρα μακριά!
Την μοναδική και πολύ σημαντική βιοποικιλότητα του Ακάμα θέλησε να αναδείξει και να εξηγήσει ο Πρόεδρος του Συνδέσμου προστασίας φυσικής κληρονομιάς και βιοποικιλότητας της Κύπρου Γιώργος Κωνσταντίνου.
Στο πλαίσιο του Περιφερειακού Συνεδρίου «ΕΕ – Κύπρος Αειφόρος Ανάπτυξη – Φυσικοί Πόροι» προβλήθηκε μια ταινία για την βιοποικιλότητα της περιοχής του Ακάμας η οποία αναλύει τη σημαντικότητα της υπάρχουσας χλωρίδας και πανίδας, που φιλοξενείται στην περιοχή.
Tuesday, 13 June 2017
Thursday, 8 June 2017
Wednesday, 7 June 2017
Tuesday, 6 June 2017
Monday, 5 June 2017
Kermes oak - Quercus coccifera subsp. calliprinos (Webb) Holmboe - Περνιά - Πουρνάρι - Cyprus
Quercus coccifera, the kermes oak, is an oak in the Quercus section Cerris. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Northern African Maghreb, south to north from Morocco to France and west to east from Portugal to Cyprus and Turkey, crossing Spain, Italy, Libya, Balkans, and Greece, including Crete. The Kermes Oak was historically important as the food plant of the Kermes scale insect, from which a red dye called crimson was obtained. The etymology of the specific name 'coccifera' is related to the production of red cochineal (crimson) dye and derived from Latin coccum which was from Greek κὀκκος, the kermes insect. The Latin -fera means 'bearer'
Quercus coccifera is usually a shrub less 2 metres (6.6 ft) tall, rarely a small tree, reaching 1–6 metres (3.3–19.7 ft) tall (a 10 metres (33 ft) specimen recorded in Kouf, Libya) and 50 cm trunk diameter. It is evergreen, with spiny-serrated coriaceous leaves 1.5–4 cm long and 1–3 cm broad. The acorns are 2–3 cm long and 1.5–2 cm diameter when mature about 18 months after pollination. They are held in a cup covered in dense, elongated, reflexed scales.
The kermes oak, Quercus coccifera is a scrub oak closely related to the Palestine oak (Quercus calliprinos) of the eastern Mediterranean, with some botanists including the latter in kermes oak as a subspecies or variety. The Palestine oak is distinguished from it by its larger size (more often a tree, up to 18 m) and larger acorns over 2 cm diameter.
It is associated with several asparagus species, Crataegus monogyna, Mediterranean dwarf palm, ephedra, myrtle, several species of Junipers (Juniperus, sabinas...), Pistacia terebinthus, mastic, wild Olea europea, sarsaparilla, Rhamnus atlantica, Rhamnus lycioides, Rhamnus oleoides, Rhamnus catharticus etc. The communities receiving several characteristic names.
It is indifferent to chemistry of soils, living on calcareous, pebbly, stony and poor soils. A lover of warm weather, it starts to fail from 1000 metres above sea level. It is capable of supporting the continental Mediterranean climate with extreme temperatures and low rainfall, replacing Quercus ilex (holm oak) in drier areas where it excels in drought resistance. It also grows on sea cliffs and in windy areas where other species of Quercus or Pinus cannot resist the harsh weather conditions.
Kermes oak species grow in dry, sunny slopes. Quercus coccifera supports either drought summers and semi-desert climate with rainfall between 400 and 600mm, with a maximum in the fall and spring. In its habitat summers are hot and winters are cold with the dry summer season with more than 35 °C, occasionally reaching over 40 °C. In winter the temperatures often drop below 0 °C. It lives in areas with moisture produced by condensation fogs, many Ground frost on clear nights and sporadic snowfalls.A very hardy species, it grows well in all types of soils as a shrub, withstanding overgrazing.
It blooms from March to May in weather still wet. It is easily propagated by seed, an acorn that lies dormant until germinated by wet weather. This might occur anywhere from late summer to late autumn or early winter (October, November or December) of the following year. The acorns are very bitter, varying greatly in size and shape from one specimen to another and tasting bad. Acorns can germinate even before falling from the plant, but Quercus coccifera is also multiplied by root suckers and layering.
Kermes oaks have become scarce, due to their replacement in wet zones by larger species such as Holm oak. It has also suffered from extensive culling for use as charcoal. It is the only food and shelter for wildlife in some areas, such as the Ebro valley and other dry areas where chaparral replaces oaks due to low rainfall.
Populations typically occur in desert regions without any inhabited nucleus because crops are not economically profitable and the climate becomes progressively more continental and drier and therefore end in extreme temperatures accompanied by slow-growing dwarf juniper species. It is the last Quercus genus species to disappear when rainfall is lacking. Their ecological importance is as a habitat and food source in these areas (they have edible acorns, although with a very bitter taste) for nesting birds, foxes, rodents and wild boars. It forms thickets, thorny and dense, some recorded as tall as five meters. It is sometimes accompanied by other plant species of the same size and climber plants such as asparagus or zarzaparrilla.
It is an important Mediterranean bush or dwarf vegetation, where the biome it dominates often bears its name (maquis, coscojar, garrigue, carrascal, chaparral, etc.). Q. coccifera form monospecific communities or communities integrated with Pinus, mediterranean buckthorns, Myrtus, Arecaceae, junipers, Pistacia, Rosmarinus, Thymus, etc.It is located throughout the region around the Mediterranean Sea, especially in central southern and eastern halves, but is almost always missing from elevated and inland areas, with the exception of the semi-arid interior of the Ebro Valley (200 m above sea level) where it is the dominant species. It is similarly found on islands in the Mediterranean, from the Balearic Islands to Cyprus. It is common in Crete and can survive heavy sheep and goat grazing for long periods as a ground cover a few centimeters high. The same is true in Mallorca, Ibiza and the Iberian peninsula.
It is included as an endangered species in the Red Book of Bulgaria.
It is called "chêne des garrigues" (garrigue oak) in French. The term "garrigue" comes from Catalan or Occitan "garric" (meaning "twisted") the name for Q. coccifera in those languages.
The common Spanish name of Q. coccifera is chaparro, which refers to its small size, a feature it shares with other oak species in similar habitats in other parts of the world, such as the chaparral communities from various parts of the Americas. The word chaparro comes from the Basque txapar meaning "little thicket"
Tree of the year 2014 in Cyprus
The Cyprus Government has declared Quercus coccifera as the tree of the year 2014. A four-page leaflet has been published (www.moa.gov.cy/forest) with the code P.I.O. 212/2013, printed by the Government Printing Office. The name of the tree in Greek is Prinos or Pournari (Πουρνάρι).
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_coccifera
Photos Euretou 17/11/2014 by George Konstantinou
Ornithogalum chionophilum Holmboe - Ορνιθόγαλον το χιονόφιλο - Endemic to Cyprus
See also - Λίστα Ενδημικών Φυτών της Κύπρου - List of Endemics plants of Cyprus
Endemic to CyprusAltitudinal range
Endemic to the Troodos range, fairly common in moist sites (alt. 900 - 1.950m).
Saturday, 3 June 2017
Friday, 2 June 2017
Tuesday, 23 May 2017
Monday, 22 May 2017
Saturday, 20 May 2017
Hermit crab - Clibanarius erythropus (Latreille, 1818) - Cyprus
Clibanarius erythropus is a species of hermit crab that lives in rockpools and sublittoral waters. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean from the Azores to Brittany, the Channel Islands and as far north as the south Cornwall coast. Individuals may grow up to a carapace length of 15 millimetres (0.6 in)A variety of different gastropod shells are used by C. erythropus, the most frequent being Littorina striata, Mitra, Nassarius incrassatus and Stramonita haemastoma, which collectively account for 85% of all the individuals studied in the Azores; in the Mediterranean, shells of Cerithium, Alvania montagui and Pisania maculosa are most used by C. erythropus.
Like other hermit crabs, C. erythropus feeds on "organic debris, decayed and fresh macro-algae with associated fauna and epiphytic algal flora, small invertebrates, and macroscopic pieces of dead and live animal tissues". It has been shown that C. erythropus individuals select substrates where they can cover large distances, and that globose shells allow them greater mobility than elongate ones
In 2016 the BBC Springwatch programme highlighted C. erythropus and ran a competition to provide a vernacular name. The winning name was St Piran's crab, a process supported by National Trust West Cornwall and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. St Piran is generally regarded as the patron saint of Cornwall, and was a hermit who survived being thrown into the sea.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clibanarius_erythropus
Underwater photos by Costas Constantinou
Friday, 19 May 2017
Mediterranean slipper lobster - Scyllarides latus (Latreille, 1802) - Καραβίδα - Κωλοχτύπα - Cyprus
Scyllarides latus, the Mediterranean slipper lobster, is a species of slipper lobster found in the Mediterranean Sea and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is edible and highly regarded as food, but is now rare over much of its range due to overfishing. Adults may grow to 1 foot (30 cm) long, are camouflaged, and have no claws. They are nocturnal, emerging from caves and other shelters during the night to feed on molluscs. As well as being eaten by humans, S. latus is also preyed upon by a variety of bony fish. Its closest relative is S. herklotsii, which occurs off the Atlantic coast of West Africa; other species of Scyllarides occur in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific. The larvae and young animals are largely unknown
Scyllarus latus is found along most of the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (one exception being the northern Adriatic Sea), and in parts of the eastern Atlantic Ocean from near Lisbon in Portugal south to Senegal, including the islands of Madeira, the Azores, the Selvagens Islands and the Cape Verde Islands. In Senegal, it occurs together with a related species Scyllarides herklotsii, which it closely resembles
S. latus can grow to a total body length about 45 centimetres (18 in), although rarely more than 30 cm (12 in). This is equivalent to a carapace length of up to 12 cm (4.7 in).[ An individual may weigh as much as 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb). As in all slipper lobsters, the second pair of antennae are enlarged and flattened into "shovels" or "flippers". Despite the name "lobster", slipper lobsters such as Scyllarides latus have no claws, and nor do they have the protective spines of spiny lobsters. Instead, the exoskeleton, and particularly the carapace, are thicker than in clawed lobsters and spiny lobsters, acting as resilient armour. Adults are cryptically coloured, and the carapace is covered in conspicuous, high tubercles
S. latus lives on rocky or sandy substrates at depths of 4–100 metres (13–328 ft). They shelter during the day in natural dens, on the ceilings of caves, or in reefs, preferring situations with more than one entrance or exit.
The diet of S. latus consists generally of molluscs. The preferred prey is, according to different sources, either limpets or bivalves. The prey, which S. latus can detect even under 3.5 cm (1.4 in) of sediment, is opened by careful use of the strong pointed pereiopods. They will also eat oysters and squid, but not sea urchins or muricid snails. They eat more in warmer seasons, getting through 3.2 oysters per day in July, but only 0.2 oysters per day in JanuaryThe most significant predator of S. latus is the grey triggerfish, Balistes capriscus, although a number of other fish species have also been reported to prey on S. latus, including dusky groupers (Epinephelus guaza), combers (Serranus spp.), Mediterranean rainbow wrasse (Coris julis), red groupers (Epinephelus morio) and gag groupers (Mycteroperca microlepis). An Octopus vulgaris has been observed to eat S. latus in an artificial setting, but it is unclear whether S. latus is preyed on by octopuses in nature
Male Scyllarus latus carry spermatophores at the base of the last two pairs of pereiopods in April.Fertilisation has not been observed in this species, but most reptant decapods mate with the ventral surfaces together. Between July and August, females carry around 100,000 eggs on their enlarged, feathery pleopods. The eggs develop from being a bright orange colour to a dark brown before being shed into the water after around 16 days of development. There is normally only one generation per year.
The larvae are much less well known than the adults. An initial 1.3 millimetres (0.05 in) long naupliosoma stage, which swims using its antennae, moults into the first of eleven phyllosoma stages, which swim using their thoracic legs. The last phyllosoma stage may reach a size of 48 mm (1.9 in) and can be up to 11 months old; most of the intermediate phyllosoma stages have not been observed. A single nisto (juvenile has been recorded, having been caught off Reggio Calabria in 1900, but only recognised as being a juvenile S. latus in 2009. Young adults are also rare; a museum specimen with a carapace length of 34 mm (1.3 in) is the smallest adult yet observed. Adults moult annually, and probably migrate to cooler waters with a temperature of 13–18 °C (55–64 °F) to do so. The old exoskeleton softens over a period of 10–22 days before being shed, and the new, pale exoskeleton takes around three weeks to harden completely. Smaller individuals typically gain weight over the course of a moult, but this difference is less pronounced in larger animals.
Scyllarides latus is mostly nocturnal in the wild, since most of its predators are diurnal. While sheltering, S. latus tends to be gregarious, with several individuals sharing the same shelter. When confronted with a predator, S. latus has no claws or spines to repel the predator, and instead either clings to the substrate, or swims away with powerful flexion of the abdomen, or "tail-flips". Larger lobsters can exert a stronger grip than smaller ones, with a force of up to 150 newtons (equivalent to a weight of 15 kilograms or 33 pounds) required to dislodge the largest individuals.
Predator avoidance may also explain the frequent behaviour where S. latus will carry food items back to a shelter before consuming them. When two S. latus individuals compete for a food item, they may use the enlarged second antennae to flip their opponent over, by wedging the antennae underneath the opponent's body and quickly raising them. An alternative strategy is to grip an opponent and begin the tail-flipping movement, or to engage in a tug of war
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scyllarides_latus
Underwater photos by Costas Constantinou
Red-black triplefin - Tripterygion tripteronotum (Risso, 1810) - Cyprus
The red-black triplefin (Tripterygion tripteronotum) is a species of fish in the family Tripterygiidae, the threefin blennies. It is widespread in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In the Black Sea it occurs off the coasts of the Crimea and UkraineFrom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-black_triplefin
Underwater photos by Costas Constantinou
Spotted sea hare - Aplysia dactylomela (Rang, 1828) - Cyprus
Aplysia dactylomela, common name the "spotted sea hare", is a species of large sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Aplysiidae, the sea haresAs traditionally defined, this species of sea hare was cosmopolitan, being found in almost all tropical and warm temperate seas, including the Mediterranean Sea where first seen in 2002 and likely self-established due to increasing temperatures.
Based on genetic evidence, the population from the Indo-Pacific region is now recognized as a separate species, A. argus. This restricts the true A. dactylomela to the Atlantic Ocean region, including the Caribbean and Mediterranean. The appearance of the two species is very similar, although A. argus is more variable in colour and patternThe colour of the spotted sea hare is very variable, from pale gray to green, to dark brown. There are almost always large black rings on the mantle.
The maximum recorded length is 410 mmAplysia dactylomela is commonly found in shallow waters, tide pools and rocky and sandy substrates, they also will be found feeding in beds of sea grass. During the day they will mostly hide under large rocks and in crevices. They usually stay in relatively shallow water, but they have been found as deep as 40 m.
Minimum recorded depth is 0 m. Maximum recorded depth is 3 m
The right giant neuron of Aplysia dactylomela, which is found in the abdominal ganglion, is similar to that of vertebrates, meaning it is ideal for the study of electrophysiology, as well as conditioned-response studies. These neurons have been found to be invaluable in neurological research; the reason for this is that long-lasting effects in neuronal behavior can be detectedThe Aplsia dactylomela is capable of swimming and crawling. It accomplishes the former by creating a funnel using the parapodia folded forward and downwards; this action pulls in water. It then pushes the water out from behind the animal by pressing the anterior parts of the parapodia together, thus forward motion is achieved.
The sea hare's usual mode of propulsion is crawling; it crawls by lifting the front end of the foot, stretching it forward then placing it on the ground in front, creating an arching pattern; the remainder of the body follows this arching pattern until the tail is reached
Like the octopus, the Aplysia dactylomela squirts purple ink if it is disturbed; this ink is an irritant that causes 'altered behaviour' in other invertebrates and fish.[8] Their leathery skin contains toxins which make this sea hare practically inedible to most predators
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aplysia_dactylomela
Underwater photos by Costas Constantinou
Thursday, 18 May 2017
Rose-coloured starling or Rose-coloured pastor - Rosy starling - Pastor roseus (Linnaeus, 1758)- Αγιοπούλι - Ακριδοπούλλι - Cyprus
The rosy starling (Pastor roseus) is a passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae, also known as the rose-coloured starling or rose-coloured pastor. The species was recently placed in its own monotypic genus, Pastor, and split from Sturnus. This split is supported by recent studies, though other related species within its new genus are not yet known for certain.
The genus name Pastor, and the old English name come from the Latin pastor, "shepherd", and by extension a pastor. The specific roseus is Latin for "rose-coloured".Formerly, some authorities also considered the maroon oriole to be a species within the genus Pastor
The adult rosy starling is highly distinctive, with its pink body, pale orange legs and bill, and glossy black head, wings and tail. Males in the breeding season have elongated head feathers which form a wispy crest that is fluffed and more prominent when the bird gets excited. In winter, the crest is shorter, and the edges of black feathers within the plumage become paler as the edges of these feather erode. Winter plumage in males is comparatively dull.Females in contrast have a short crest and lack the sharp separation between pink and black.
The juvenile birds can be distinguished from common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) by its obviously paler plumage and short yellow bill. Young birds moult into a subdued version of the adult plumage in autumn, yet these lack the crest. They do not acquire their adult plumage until they are nearly one year old in females, and nearly two years in males. The latter grow plumage very similar to adult females in their second year, but are distinguished by longer crests and noticeably pale feather edges than female juvenile birds.
The breeding range of this bird is from easternmost Europe across temperate southern Asia. It is a strong migrant, and winters in India and tropical Asia. In India in winter, it often appears to outnumber the local starlings and mynas. The rosy starling is a bird of steppe and open agricultural land. In years when grasshoppers and other insects are abundant, it will erupt well beyond its core range, with significant numbers reaching France and the United Kingdom. The starling is a summer visitor for northwestern Afghanistan, passage migrants in the rest of the Afghanistan and winter visitor in almost entire world population in Sri Lanka and India including the southern India including Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Rosy starlings are highly gregarious birds, and often form large, noisy flocks, which can on occasion be a pest for growers of cereal crops or orchards; the birds are strongly attracted to flowering trees. However, they are also greatly beneficial to farmers as they prey on pests such as locusts and grasshoppers, thereby limiting their numbers. The birds breed in tight colonies in a very short breeding season timed to take advantage of peak abundance of grasshoppers during May to June
The rosy starling is a colonial breeder, and like other starlings, is highly gregarious, forming large winter flocks. It also shares other species' omnivorous diet, although it prefers insects. The song is a typical starling mixture of squeaks and rattles, given with much wing trembling. In Xinjiang, China, farmers used to use insecticide to eliminate locust, which is costly and polluting. In the 1980s, experts found that rosy starlings which fly to Xinjiang farms and feed on locusts could be used for control instead. The experts begin to build artificial nests to attract rosy starlings, an effort reported to be so successful that the number of locusts was insufficient to feed the birds, causing many juveniles die for hunger. By the 2000s many Xinjiang farms greatly decreased the usage of insecticideChiefly fruits, berries, flower-nectar, cereal grains and insects. Specific observations of preferred food types made on the feeding habits of rosy starling are listed as: Fruits and berries: Ficus (many species), Lantana spp., Zizyphus oenoplia, Bridelia hamistoniana, Streblus asper, grapes, mulberries (Morus), dates, Salvadora persica, Capparis aphylla and chillies. Flower-nectar: Salmalia persica, Bombax insigne, Erythrina indica and Erythrina suberosa, Butea monosperma, Careya arborea. Cereal grains: Jowar and bajra. Insects: largely locusts and grasshoppers, beetles of the families Lucanidae, Elateridae, Tenebrionidae, Buprestidae, Scarabaeidae and Curculionidae
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosy_starling
Photos Livera 18/5/2017 by George Konstantinou
Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Monday, 8 May 2017
Calosoma (Campalita) auropunctatum (Herbst, 1784) - Cyprus
Family: Carabidae
Calosoma auropunctatum, is a species of ground beetle. This species was previously classified as Calosome maderae ssp. auropunctatum. This species is found from Europe (except in western and southwestern parts) eastward to Anatolia, Central Asia and western China and Mongolia
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calosoma_auropunctatum
Photos Alampra 8/5/2017 by George Konstantinou
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