Jakub Steinhűbel

Okay, here is the friday trip: leave the car in Plavecké Podhradie village, than hit the road to Amonova lúka, Klokoč and finally Vápenná hill. And from this point steep down back to the village and parking lot. From the outset there was beech forest with almost no flora and fauna that made me dissapointing. Only Dorcus parallelipipedus and some Geotrupes beetles were around. But as I was proceeding up the hill, forest change and underbrush of plant and shrubs fill the space between trees. Even the weather change and temperature rised. The ridge was rocky with xerothermic flora and offered a nice view. (GPS: 48.41595, 17.21594) Blossoming Verbascum appeared in almost every meadow.    Along the way there is a nice view from the ridge to the rest of the Little Carpathians. In the far distance is Vysoká hill with 754 m.   Slowly more interresting beetles appearing. Among them was Trichius fasciatus , Lucanus cervus and Stenocorus quercus . But what pleased me the mos...

Close to the Capital city there is low hill called Vrchná hora. During Neogene period this locality was Pannonian sea shoreline. So the subsoil is sandy with fossil mollusc shells. Now the most of the locality is grassy meadow. On this west oriantated slopes thrive mostly xerotermic flora and fauna that can sustain long term period of heat and dry. (GPS:48.26205, 17.04740) . Grassy meadows on the slopes of Vrchná hora hill. During the spring som interresting plants are here to seen. One of them is Dictamnus albus from Rutaceae family. Each plant has many flowers on tall stalk. The flowers are white with violet or pink stripes on petals. The plant exude volatile oils and flowers attract a lot of different bees species. The hard seeds are black and oval. Behind each seed is spring like mechanism that release the seeds few centimetres away from the plant when the fruit is dry. Population of Dictamnus albus on the top of Mt. Vrchná hora. Honey bees and a lot of other different ...

The Myrmeleon larvae are sandy soil dwellers that sit on the bottom of their funnel shaped hole and waiting for their prey. The nightmare of all ants is to fall into shuch sand pit trap. What is the worst death for ants than to by snatch by poisonous jaws of the larva lurking in. After several years of maturation the larva of Myrmeleon create a coccon in sandy soil where it becomes an adult after its final metamorphosis. The morphology of the larva is stunning. Jaws are formed by fusing mandibulae and maxillae together to form a food canal.   On my way back to my car I stumble upon one of this Myrmeleon larva. The larva looked sturdy and ready to pupate. I slowly approach closer, but the larva was not moving. It was death. I don't know for how long but it must have been for days. Sitting in it's shallow hole the larva was totally dry but perfectly preserved. The cause of death was obvious. It was no possible for larva to dig in deeper. It was in the margin of the road and after...

It is zero or something abow the zero and We finally got a true snow after long years of wantage. I have been walking this road for many time but not in winter. It is quite different with cloudy sky unpenetrable for sun and snow under my feet. So quiet all around.  But still... I found Boreus hyemalis. This small jumping insect belongs to order Mecoptera and is found only in winter. During this cold period of the year not so many insects are seen. And that is the point. This is the life strategy how to avoid predators, but on the other hand risking freeze to death. (GPS: 48.58385, 17.24536). Winter in nature. Snow is covering fields.   Boreus hyemalis apterous ♀ with ovipositor. Boreus hyemalis  ♂ with rudimental wings.

The most spectacular sandy area Šranecké piesky si located in military area. It is former open sand mine that formed terrain depression with small periodical water ponds. In far distance are Little Carpathian mountains. (GPS: 48.53502, 17.24724) Šranecké piesky the eolitic sands.

  Nature answers only when She is questioned. If You know the question, You know the half. The Right question reveals the Truth. So why is there something, rather than nothing?   •••  Some questions don't have answers...

One of the worst blood feeder that I seasonally encounter in forest is Hyppobosca equina . Especially during the early September their attacks are somehow more frequent and always give Me multiple bites. It is hard to get rid of them once they find you. The flies are dorsoventral flattened with strong exosceleton hard to crush. The  middle pair of leg is pointed forward to the head that gives them akward look. The adult female lays mature larvae that immediately pupate in soil. (GPS: 48.59011, 17.26525). Middle pair of legs of Hippobosca equina are pointed forward to the head and wings are folded over the abdomen.