We are starting from our most long-lasting activity, and of course this is the database for collecting data on the insects of Serbia “Alciphron” (https://alciphron.habiprot.org.rs/). During January, we rewarded our most valuable associates and summarized the data collected over the previous year (even 38,000 findings in 2018). Once again, we thank all our valuable associates. Some segments of the database have been upgraded this year, mainly related to the review of users’ own data and we have also introduced a brand new subroutine. A section for data entry on orchids of Serbia has been introduced and over 500 data have been collected so far.
The front page of the Orchids of Serbia database
We participated in the preparation of the 6th National Report on the Convention on Biological Diversity, lead by the Agency for Environmental Protection. We have contributed through the review of data on invasive insect species.
At the beginning of the year we moved from Belgrade to Novi Sad and the newly elected president of the association HabiProt is Bojana Nadaždin. Milan Đurić was appointed deputy, with Boženka Hric, Filip Vukajlović and Ivan Tot as the Board of Directors.
The field season officially began with a visit to the Nature Monument “Obrenovački Zabran”, whereby we began cooperation with the manager of this protected area (PE For the Protection and Improvement of the Environment in the City of Obrenovac). Field tours were organized throughout the year and the focus of the study was on the butterflies, longhorn beetles and ground beetles. This was followed by visits to the Special Nature Reserve “Peštersko Polje” and continued cooperation started in 2018 with the Sjenica Tourism Organization. The long-standing cooperation with the manager of the Landscape of Outstanding Features “Vlasina” (Tourist Organization of the Municipality of Surdulica) has continued, and this time we focused on the research of butterflies and moths. Field trips to the aforementioned protected areas have been organized on several occasions and covered all seasonal aspects. Additional field activities were organized throughout Serbia, some of the visited sites: Pčinja, Sićevo Gorge, Jelašnica Gorge, Ovčar-Kablar Gorge, Bosilegrad and Mokra Gora (Prokletije). In cooperation with SRSBES “Josif Pančić”, SNR “Zasavica” and NM “Slapovi Sopotnice” were also visited.
HabiProt team with a representative of manager of NM “Obrenovački Zabran”
HabiProt on Pešter
Aromia moschata
Some of the collected data during the field activities were presented at the XII Symposium of Entomologists of Serbia in Niš (http://habiprot.org.rs/rl/simpozijum-entomologa-srbije-2019/), where we participated with 13 scientific papers.
During 2019, two new publications were published: “Moths 1″ and “Butterflies of Vlasina” (http://habiprot.org.rs/rl/printed/). The first has the role of a field guide and gives descriptions of individual representatives of families: Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Drepanidae, Lasiocampidae, Brahmaeidae, Endromidae and Notontidae. While the second publication is a monograph and is the result of ten years of research of butterflies in the Vlasina area (http://habiprot.org.rs/rl/nova-publikacija-dnevni-leptiri-vlasine/). The publication “Moths of Vlasina” has been prepared and we are eagerly awaiting the press.
HabiProt on Vlasina
In April, a gathering of members and associates was organized at SNR “Kraljevac”, when in addition to socializing and planning for the coming season, we also done some field activities. A meeting of the members of the Board of Directors was also organized at the end of the year.
We talked about our activities for “Zelene priče” portal and at a meeting within Miloš Popović’s Rufford project in Zaječar. Colleague Jelena Šeat was a lecturer at the 2nd Seminar on Invasive Species in Novi Sad, and at the end of the year our association received a thank-you note for supporting the work and promotion of bird and nature protection from Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia
In 2019, a new Rufford project called “True Bugs of Halophytic Habitats in Vojvodina (Part III) – Elaboration of Rapid Assessment and Monitoring of Pannonian Saline Grasslands Based on True Bugs” was launched. The activities are coordinated by Jelena Šeat and the project continues through 2020.
For the next year we plan to continue our research in some localities and start with more detailed lists of insects in some new areas, as well as the realization of new science-popular projects.
List of butterflies