| Asmadere (Batman), Turkey | |
| 14 June 2010 |
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On the last day of our holiday, our final target is the Red-Wattled Lapwing. This species breeds in very small numbers in South-Eastern Turkey. Its breeding habitat here is the flood plains of rivers - those are easy enough to find. But then the Lapwing! Yet...we were lucky! We spotted several adults and a young bird as well. |
| Searching for the Red-Wattled Lapwing | |
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After having seen the Lapwing, I walked a small distance along the road, when I spotted a patch of Globe Thistles (Echinops spec.) Although these grew is a place rather difficult to reach, I saw too many beautiful wasps not to go there - and I was richly rewarded! This was one of those unexpected finds - a place I wouldn't have visited if it were not for my fellow travellers' desire to spot the Red-Wattled Lapwing... |
| Patch of Globe Thistles | |
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In this hot environment, there are hardly any flowers alive in June |
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| Exoprosopa cf. lucidifrons | |
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| This beautiful Bombylid is not yet known from Turkey... | |
| Scolia cf. flaviceps | ||
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| These were the large wasps I spotted from the road side. Spectacular wasps indeed! | ||
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Although I have no clue but their co-presence with the females above, I expect this is the male of S. flaviceps. |
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| Anthidium (sensu lato) spec. | ||
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| Sheer beauty...for me maybe the pinnacle of the whole trip! | ||
| Andrena ?caroli | |
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| Delta dimiatipenne | ||
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| Euodynerus species novum | |
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| Most likely a species not known to science! Although this is not too rare with wasps in Turkey, the thought to have seen and photographed an unknown species is quite exciting! | |
| Sphex flavipennis | |
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| Spectecularly large - the largest Sphecid wasp in Europe. It can already be recognized by the deep sonorous sound of its flight. | |
| Stizus cf. pubescens | ||
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| Bembix olivacea | |
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