2019 – in Greece with family

August 17th, 2019 Cosmin Manci

Long-time since the last post here … and I always say that need to change this.

Long story short … this year finally managed to have some money and do an expedition in Greece together with family … that mean not only insects but also some other stuff like visiting things, eating, sleeping, beach, bath in the sea, family visits, fishing, snorkeling … 🙂 . So our last half of July was on the road in Bulgaria and Greece (Romania too as we live quite at north).

Track trip can be seen in the next two Google Earth “maps”:

As you can see the trip was quite long (more than 6000 km) and quite messy in directions … partly because we tried to stay in places with good weather, to see some beaches, to see some mountains too. And was so good up in mountains compared with almost 40 C that was down near the sea. Like always until now my hero wife has done all the driving, me still without a permit 🙁 .

But because I’m a biologist this blog will include mostly “things” seen in nature. 🙂

For me the aim of this trip was to see and photograph (and collect when possible) some species like Parnassius apollo, Papilio alexanor, Danaus chrysippus, Polygonia egea, Charaxes jasius, Kirinia climene, Cyphosoma euphraticum, Buprestis cupressi, Buprestis splendens, Dicerca moesta, Anthaxia bettagi, Rhaesus serricollis, Prinobius myardi, Mesoprionus besicanus, Osmoderma lassallei, Propomacrus bimucronatusPittonotus theseus …  The period was not the best for some, not reached the right place for the others so as result succeeded some targets, some not but should remain something also for the next trip 🙂 .

Checking aimed species started already in Bulgaria (thanks to Maximilian for helping with this one) when I have seen for the first time Parnassius apollo flying … is a real show. Sadly they were already at a location quite worn but will return for better results! Later seen some also from a Greek population (also there a big part of the specimens see were worn) … few photos here, more can be seen and more will be added as time permits at species page (slowly pages with more photos will be added on my websites for all species photographed, mostly for the one that I have identified).

After a second and third species from my list were found in Greece and photos started to pile (cca 3000 photos done in those days).

More insects

More insects are photographed but over for now 🙂 .

Some other “thins”

Some plants

Closing with some landscape and something else.

view over lake Ioannina in Katara Pass above Sliven

David collecting his first beetles (Eumolpus asclepiadeus) and he is proud of them (me too) 🙂 .