Jakub Steinhűbel

The first decade of July and land is already parched with low biodiversity of flowering plants. Mainly grass and dry Calluna prevails. Dry mosses are making crushing sound under me feet as I go throught this sandy land. Here and there only high Verbascum with yellow flowers dominate. The scent and colour of the flowers luring beetles from all over the place.  (GPS:)   Blossoming Verbascum on dry land. Only noticable insect are cetonid beetles Cetonia aurata appearing in ample profusion on flowering plants. With elytrae closed the beetles fly from one plant to another gently maneuvering around flowers deciding where to land. Its hard shiny exosceleton that reflect sunrises hinder water evaporation enabling withstand heat of the day. This is almost the most common beetle in this area. In the forest bigger  Potosia cuprea is also to be found on oak tree sap.    Eat the best leave the rest. Metallic beetle  Cetonia aurata .

Going alongside Rudava river are waste meadows with many Alder trees ( Alnus glutinosa ) that blossom early in the spring before trees get leaves and inflorscences give first pollen for honeybees after long winter. During the season leaves of the trees provide food for green larvae of Cimbex connatus . This cimbicid insect resemble hornet ( Vespa crabro ) t hat are to be found in profusion all around this place.  But discerning eye can easily recognize imitation. The mimicry are almost perfect in shape, size and colour. This defense mechanism repel predators and may help to survive even harmless ones (GPS: 48.58886, 17.26303) . Mimicry of Cimbex connatus .

From the city of Osor I set foot to Osorčica ridge. I went over the bridge that connect Cres and Lošinj islands. Both islands are connected with swing bridge over only the 6 m long canal. The path itself was stony with suhozid walls on the beggining. Steep ascent to the top of the Osorčica ridge leads me to the highest peak Televrina hill to 588 m. The journey ended by the shore in Nerezine town (GPS:44.67157, 14.36179) .   Descending from Sveti Mikula hill (557 m.) to Nerezine GPS: 44.64611, 14.37753 .

Early in the morning I set foot from Osor city on Osorčica trail. I was ahead of the sun but this soon will be over. There was long and steep road awaiting me. I follow the stony road leads the way to the top of 588 m heigth Televrina hill. The suhozid stony fence was on my left or right side sometimes on both sides of the road.  Beautiful female of Saturnia pyri. I was only few kilometres from Osor city when I saw giant moth Saturnia pyri sitting on small shrub. After a cold night it was reluctant to fly only waiting for the sun rises to warm its body to move. I spent few minutes to observing this largest European moth than I continue on my way to the top. Puffy female with the plumose antennae type. Detail of the eye on the forewing of the moth.

On Monday will be the last day of September, so the Autumn is really here. Weather is colder despite it is still sunny day. I dont expect to find anything interresting. All that was here is long since gone. In this type of pine-oak forest colourful autumn is not what one could expect. Here colours are fading to gray. On my path I suddenly saw beetle under me feet with nice red-green metallic elytrae. It was Carabid beetle Calosoma sycophanta. Usually very good runner and hunter now lethargic wriggling its way somewhere and I am pretty sure its days are also numbered (GPS: 48.59206, 17.27223) . Shadows are long and colours are fading. It is the end of the season. Carabid beetle with metallic elytrae Calosoma sycophanta .

It looks like ordinary fly but it is not. It is another blood feeder that appeared around our house since neighbour started breeding cow. Few weeks ago one of them stab me and now more of them appeared on my car after cold night. The flies are good fliers and not easy to catch, except this one physogastric female with bigger abdomen. Both males and females are blood feeders with short protruding proboscis. This fly belongs to Muscidae family and I am wonder how many times the blood feeding evolved separately during Evolution in Diptera. Female of Stomoxis calcitrans idling on cars door.

It is another from the series of extremely hot days. But it is time to go out becouse is Oryctes nasicornis season and I dont want to miss it. This Scarabaeid beetle is common here and in this period of year can be found in profusion throught out whole forest. The beetles can be found mainly in sparse forest or in open xerothermic localities with dead Oak trees. The trees must be in sandy soil and must have naked roots. This is the sine qua non for females to lay eggs. Solitary oak trees are the most theratened becouse of another beetle Cerambix cerdo that larvae developed under the bark drive trees to the death. Around this dead trees or tribes lot of Oryctes beetles can be found. Among the beetles there is wide variety in size and the bigger beetles tend to be in the most suitable trees.  (GPS: 48.58957, 17.28425) Detail of the dead oak tree shows how worn the tree si. The body of both males and females is sturdy. Mainly brown or black coloured. Males have prominent horn ...