TRIP
REPORTS
IV.2011.Gerecse
I found the pictures of some huge oak
trees on the net (
dendromania),
in the Gerecse Mountains. We are always keen on visiting areas
wich are new for us. So we jumped into Attila's car with Petra, and
travelled about 100 kilometres west.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse1.jpg)
We spotted the two old trees from the car. They are
really huge.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse2.jpg)
I found Ampedus cardinalis (Schiödte,
1865), Ampedus nigerrimus
(Lacordaire, 1835) and larvae of Gnorimus
variabilis in the red-rotten wood of a branch cavity of
the smaller tree. These species are new for the Gerecse Mountains, just
like most of the species we found this day, during our trip.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/Lacon_querceus26.jpg)
Lacon querceus (Herbst, 1784) was already active beneath bark.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse8.jpg)
Nice, warm hillside, below the valley, teeming with insect life and
flowers.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse5.jpg)
Ornithogalum sp.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse4.jpg)
Iris pumila
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse6.jpg)
Dianthus sp.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/Sisyphus_schaefferi.jpg)
Sisyphus schaefferi (Linnaeus,
1758).
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse7.jpg)
I was beating the already fresh green leaves and branches for half an
hour. Weevils and other beetles swarmed.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/curculionidae2.jpg)
Stenocarus cardui (Herbst,
1784).
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/curculionidae4.jpg)
Coeliodes transversealbofasciatus
(Goeze, 1777).
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/curculionidae6.jpg)
Lignyodes enucleator
(Panzer, 1798).
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse9.jpg)
Bikol stream.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse11.jpg)
The side of the valley hides old forest, with huge beeches and
hornbeams.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse10.jpg)
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse12.jpg)
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/Tenebrio_opacus2.jpg)
In Hungary, Tenebrio opacus
Duftschmid, 1812 is be found only in mature forests.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/Neatus_picipes2.jpg)
Another darkling beetle: Neatus
picipes (Herbst, 1797), common beneath bark.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse13.jpg)
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse15.jpg)
Exit holes of Necydalis ulmi
Chevrolat, 1863. This old tree hosted dozens of this rare species.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse14.jpg)
Slow worms (Anguis fragilis)
were hiding on the ground, under logs.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse16.jpg)
Our last stop was at this
amazing
field maple (Acer campestre).
First I spotted Procraerus tibialis
(Lacordaire, 1835), walking at the entrance of this huge cavity. Then
we gently took out the debris from the tree, and started examining it.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse18.jpg)
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse17.jpg)
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/Cerophytum_elateroides16.jpg)
Several females of Cerophytum
elateroides Latreille, 1809 walked out from the debris.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/Cerophytum_elateroides17.jpg)
Males were crawling at the base of the tree. I never thought I would
see this very interesting beetle active in such an early date.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/Megapenthes_lugens11.jpg)
A small male of Megapenthes
lugens
(Redtenbacher, 1842) was also already active, despite the cold
spring.
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/Brachygonus_megerlei11.jpg)
Brachygonus megerlei (Lacordaire,
1835).
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse19.jpg)
![](2012.IV.Gerecse/gerecse20.jpg)
This area of the Gerecse Mountains, with dark northern and sunny
southern slopes of the stream valley is a heaven for saproxylics. I
hope we can visit this place again.
Copyright
©
2009. Hungarian Natural History Museum,
Department of Zoology, Coleoptera Collection