16 Oct Entomological expedition in eastern Turkey
WBA members Marco Uliana and Maurizio Bollino, in collaboration with the Erzurum University, recently performed an entomological expedition to North-Eastern Turkey, in the provinces of Erzurum and Erzincan. The expedition was dedicated to non-coprophagous Scarabaeoidea, and had as main aim the field study and sampling of an unknown species of Glaphyridae of the genus Pygopleurus, so far known on a small number of specimens recently collected in Erzurum province. Alper Polat, a PhD student working on Scarabaeoidea of the region, also joined the expedition.
Field activities were carried out over 35 station, distributed along a 2500 Km path, and characterized by very different biomes, going from rocky steppes of Erzincan valleys to high quote fresh mountain forests of Erzurum, not distant from Armenia. The expedition allowed to make field observation and sampling of other poorly known species, such as Protaetia fausti, a flower beetle endemic of Northeastern Anatolia, as well as species of the genus Anisoplia, whose problematic identification indicates the need for a taxonomic revision.
Marco e Maurizio were housed in the University guest house, and took the opportunity to repeatedly visit the Department entomological collections, offering their help for the identification of Scarabaeoidea.