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Trigono-Lamda - Insects of the Peloponnese

Fauna

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Lost Habitats

In 2000, the Lemon Grove summer house, "Ithaka", was ready for occupation and it was with great enjoyment that I sat watching the insects at their daily work. But I had cleared a large patch of vetch away from the east side of the house, in case there were snakes lurking there, and in doing so I inadvertantly lost the habitat of the butterflies who only fed and reared young on vetch.

I have waited for the vetch to return- in May 2007 small clumps appeared but no butterflies close by. In April 2009 the lemon grove was cleared of many of its trees and some of its wild areas. No burning has taken place though, and sufficient wild areas have been left for creatures to re-colonise, while at the same time the risk of summer fires has been lessened.

Insects

Butterflies

Male Gonepteryx cleopatra butterfly by SK The butterfly Gonepteryx cleopatra, related to the brimstones, is one of my favourites. The males have a yellow ground with orange on the forewing and are found in abundance, mainly in early June, seeming to favour hibiscus and geranium flowers, though that may be because those plants show such a stunning contrast to the butterflies. Butterfly habitats are very specific and easily lost through ignorance when clearing land.

Metalmark butterfly

There are 5 families of butterfly and examples of most are seen at the groves or close by:

Papilionidae - including swallowtails

Pieridae - the white and yellow coloured, including Gonepteryx cleopatra as shown here.

Lycaenidae - the blues and copper coloured,

Riodinidae - metal mark (due to the appearance of the spots on their wings)

Nymphalidae - brush footed.

Bees and Wasps

Wasps nests Bees of varying types are common and some really do make a "bee-line", flying low and droning loudly as they pass. Bee-keeping is still common in the Methoni area and you can see brightly painted wooden bee-hives in rows along some of the hillsides. The boxes are rectangular with metal coated lids and make ideal storage boxes if lined with netting to discourage insects from entering the slits at the base.

Small, circular, wasps nests can be found at the caravan at the Triangle each year. Be cautious, especially near wood, as wasps might well be lurking there.

Stick Insects

One of my favourites, remembering them in glass cases at school, it was wonderful to see them wild. Stick insects are just that- like sticks, very hard to spot. One crawled onto the black water tank, which was a reckless thing for a stick insect to do, leaving it unprotected against predators as its pale brown colour was so easily visible.

Preying Mantis

brown preying mantis resting on a broom Small with large eyes, a triangular head and a very delicate, long limbed, form. At the lemon grove they are green and are commonly seen on sunny days. The photograph shows a brown one closer to town, resting on a broom! The Preying mantis is not are not nearly as scary as the name suggests.