The coleopteoroligst' paradise in South-Eastern Anatolia
[Photo © M.Hoskovec]
Southern slopes of Nemrut Dağı (Mount Nemrut), created by vast mountain karst hilly plateaus, represent during May and June one of the richest habitats of steppe Cerambycids and Buprestids in South-Eastern Anatolia. This beautiful mountain landscape, in majority deforested and covered only by limestone rocks with sparse herbal vegetation, is true coleopteoroligst' paradise.
We discovered this great locality during our first visit of Anatolia in June 1992, and again visited it in May-June of 1996 and 2011. The most interesting part, an unexpected labyrinth of small valleys, ravines, huge old sinkholes and meadows in elevation from 1400 to 1750 m, was created by water during millenia of karst processes in limestone (see the marked Google Map). Here, You can find against wind protected, sunny and southwards oriented spaces with sufficient sources of underground water, suitable for growth of many herbs and small shrubs needful for larval developing of longhorn or jewel beetles.
From numerous species, which we found here [❖], is necessary to remind following Cerambycid taxa:
[❖]
Rejzek M. and Hoskovec M.:
Cerambycidae of Nemrut Dagi National Park (Anatolia, South-East Turkey).
Biocosme Mésogéen, Nice 15 (4): 257-272, 1999. [download]
[Photo © M.Hoskovec]