Greece

Greece is one of my favorite countries. I was there two times but only this time I have made it to be the real expedition for butterflies and moths research with rucksacks on the backs, sleeping in the tent, etc., exactly how it schould look like. My girlfriend Karolina agreed as well so we went to Greece. I love this country mainly because its very nice and sunny weather, beautiful nature and awesome food. This time I focused on Saturnia spini caterpillars which I wanted to collect there. Before this trip I tried to find out some localities for spini in Greece on internet but I was not succesful so I had to go there with nothing. I know few localities in Bulgaria and Macedonia so I wanted to go closer to the borders somewhere where it will look nicely. I bought map on the bus station in Thesaloniky and I choosed two places which looked very good on the map and then I decided to go to one of them, to which they had direct buses from Thesaloniky. Small town Serres looked to be in an ideal position right at the base of Menikio mountain, which looked just like ideal locality for Saturnia spini. It also was just about one and half hour by bus from Thesaloniky. After we arrived to Serres I was happy because surrounded mountains looked great so we started climbing. We found first good place where we set our base camp. I captured many good species in this locality but I did find only few buckthorns but no other suitable foodplants for Saturnia spini. And also the next day the native shepherds came there with about 150 goats and their dogs to graze. So we packed up our camp and we went more up to the mountains but it was very backbreaking in this hot and dry weather with 20 kilos in our backpacks. The worst was that we had to take about 10 kilos of water all the way up from Serres because in these mountains there are just no streams or rivers. It was horrible climb but it was worthed because we found very beautiful place inside of small pine forest from where we had the most beautiful view to the surrounded mountains and all the nature below us and we also saw goats and cows that were grazing at bottom levels of this mountain. Unfortunately it was not good locality for Saturnia spini even here because this mountain is overgrown with Quercus ilex, pines and Zizipus shrubs, but only very few buckthorns and hawthorns and none of the rest species from the Rosaecae family. I have found nothing on buckthorns and then I realised that it could be too late for Saturnia spini caterpillars anyway because there were many other species on the wing which occur in Slovakia in July so I had to give up with spini for this season. But I was very happy anyway because I manage to get many great Noctuids and especially very good underwings from Catocalinae subfamily which feed on Quercus ilex which was dominant tree in this locality.
We loved time spent in this place so we were quite pissed off to go back to the civilization. This was one of my better and also very beautiful trip so Iam sure I will be back in Greece once for sure!

Martin Jagelka

Locality: Menikio mountain and the road from Serres to Prodromus monastieri, province Makedonia, Greece. Date: 8 - 16.6.2008.
Observed species of Lepidoptera:

Amatidae: Amata kruegeri, Dysauxes famula

Arctidae: Ocnogyna parasita, Eilema caniolum

Cossidae: Parahypopta caestrum

Hesperidae: Thymelicus acteon, Spialia orbifer, Carcharodus spp., Erynnis tages

Lasiocampidae: Malacosoma neustria

Libytheidae: Libythea celtis

Lycaenidae: Satyrium ilicis, Satyrium spini, Lycaena phlaeas, Tarucus balkanicus, Celastrina argiolus, Cupido osiris, Pseudophilotes baton, Polyommatus thersites, Polyommatus andronicus, Polyommatus bellargus

Noctuidae/Catocalinae: Catocala nymphaea, Catocala nymphagoga, Catocala eutychea, Catocala disjuncta, Catocala separata, Catephia alchymista, Aedia funesta, Gonospileia triquetra, Lygephila procax, Minucia lunaris, Prodotis stolida, Dysgonia torrida

Notodontidae: Thaumetopoea pityocampa

Nymphalidae: Nymphalis polychloros, Nymphalis antiopa, Inachis io, Vanessa cardui, Limenitis reducta, Argynnis pandora, Issoria lathonia, Melitaea didyma, Melitaea phoebe,

Papilionidae: Papilio machaon, Iphiclides podalirius

Pieridae: Pieris brassicae, Pieris rapae, Pieris mannii, Pontia daphlidice, Colias crocea, Leptidea duponcheli,

Satyridae: Melanargia larissa, Hipparchia syriaca, Hipparchia pellucida, Maniola jurtina, Maniola telmessia, Hyponephele lupina, Coenonympha pamphilus, Pararge aegeria, Lasiommata maera, Lasiommata megera, Kirinia roxelana

Sphingidae: Hyles euphorbiae, Macroglossum stellatarum

Zygaenidae: Zygaena punctum