Other
https://doi.org/10.18054/pb.v120i2-3.bb2
BEAUTY OF BIOLOGY (cover image)
Sven D. Jelaska
orcid.org/0000-0003-3834-002X
; Faculty of Science, university of Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
BEAUTY OF BIOLOGY
As announced with first such cover in our issue 1 in 2017 (https://doi.org/10.18054/pb.v119i1.bb1), occasionally
cover image will not be related to one of the papers in the issue itself.
About the image:
Photograph show Alpine longhorn beetle – Rosalia alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) taking a rest on the leaf of the black locust – Robinia pseudoacacia L. and could be called “Beauty and the Beast”. Alpine longhorn beetle is listed on the Annex II of the Habitat Directive (most important nature protection Act in the European Union) and on the Bern Convention, as protected and important as an indicator of favourable status of the woodland and forest habitats. Being a saproxylic species (like e.g. stag beetle), its presence in some area is dependent on the existence of dead wood, which implies type of the forest managements that will promote such conditions for the benefit of numerous organisms that rely on the dead and decaying wood.
Black locust is as well, present in the various lists, but those of the invasive species! Originated from the North America, it was deliberately introduced out of its native range for the ornamental and other purposes (e.g. soil stabilisation, bee forage), but nowadays it is invading open habitats, and somewhere poses a serious threat to the native biodiversity.
The photograph was taken by Sven D. Jelaska, on July 27th, 2019. around 5 P.M. in Medvednica Nature Park, which is part of the NATURA2000 network in Croatia.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
225314
URI
Publication date:
16.9.2019.
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