Budanje - Vipavska dolina valley
Biology students’ society has organized a "field weekend" in Budanje in Vipavska dolina valley. I was attending the buttefly group. We visited Goriško (famous for its fine assortment of wines) and Mlake. Goriško was, from butterflies point of view, totally devestated. Only two habitat types that we noticed were vinyards and fragmented forest. The only viable habitats were along the roads, but they had only grasses, not suitable for adult butterflies. We found only a few species of butterflies - and not even the most common ones one would expect. We took a trip to Mlake, a marsh area recently turned into highway and military shooting range. According to older biologists, they destroyed the most valuable part of the marshy grassland that sheltered innumerable vulnerable species of plants and animals. All three pictures are from this location.
Mellicta britomartis (I hope that’s the species - I’m waiting confirmation from a senior lepidopterologist). It’s Mellicta athalia, one of the most common ones. My bad.
Euphydryas aurinia
A cerambicid beetle. My guess would be Aromia moschata. Have to check with the experts though, as I’m very short on coleopterid literature. 
very nice blog… can we exchange links??? pls reply to my blog.. thanks!!!
Comment by Did You Know? — 14 May, 2008 @ 14:49