| Nemrut volcano (Bitlis), Turkey | |
| 5 & 7 June 2010 |
|
The Nemrut volcano erupted lastly in 1597, which led to the formation of Van Gölü. The caldera has a diameter of some 7.5 km; the altitude is around 2350 m. Slightly less than half of the caldera is formed by a crater lake, which is to 150 m deep (the photos below do not show the biggest crater lake). The slopes are partially covered with trees, but most of the caldera is rather sparcely vegetated. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The many large bolders, in part obsidian, are good substrate for lichens. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Insect life |
|
|
Carpocoris coreanus iranus |
Camptopus tragacanthae |
Graphosoma cf. melanoxanthum |
|
|
|
| Braconidae |
|
| Megalodontes spec. | ||
|
|
|
| Melecta spec. | ||
|
|
|
|
The hoverfly, Merodon quadrinotata,
has a color pattern so similar to this bee that the idea this bee is a model for the mimicking hoverfly comes quite naturally to one's mind. |
||
| Polistes spec. | |
|
|
| Vespula germanica | ||
|
|
|
| Melitaea spec. | ||
|
|
|
|
An abberrant color form. Since the various species that might fly in this area are normally already difficult to identify, more than genus level ID is not possible with this specimen. |
||
| Lycaena thersamon | Lycaena tityrus | Lycaena asabinus |
|
|
|
| Proterebia afra | ||
|
|
|
| Palumbia eristaloides | |
|
|
|
|
| Merodon pruni | |
|
|
| Perching male. It used several large bolders as its perch, along a stretch of ca. 10 meter. | |
| Eristalis tenax | |
|
|
|
The orange coloration is far more extensive than in Western European specimens. Yet the two bands of hair on the eyes guarantee this is E. tenax! |
|
| Stratiomys longicornis | |
|
|
| Adoxomyia spec. | Oplodontha viridula |
|
|
| Phaonia spec. | |
|
|
| Gymnocheta spec. | |
|
|
| Tachinidae | |
 |
 |
|
|
| Villa spec. | |
|
|
| 'Dirt-dancing' female. | |
| Coenagrion lunulatum | |
|
|
| The population in the crater lake is well known. | |
| Cicindela cf. herbacea | Chrysomelidae |
|
|
| Dorcadion spec. | Pimelia spec. | Tenebrionidae |
|
|
|