European wild pear An ancient fruit The wild pear (Pyrus pyraster) is a tree that reaches a height of 6-15 meters and can be found from sea level up to 1400 meters in altitude. On its hardened and thorny branches, numerous white flowers (sometimes pink) with dark red anthers bloom in April-May, clustered in inflorescences. Despite the brief flowering period, the flowers are highly sought after by pollinating insects . The fruits are pear-shaped , or more rounded, and measure 2-5 cm in size. Did you know? The consumption of wild pear fruits dates back to ancient times; remains of [...]

Jersey Tiger Keyword: Amaze The Jersey Tiger Moth (scientific name Euplagia quadripunctaria) belongs to the Arctiinae family and is a moth with very striking colors. Its forewings are black and white striped, while the hindwings are bright red with some round black spots. When threatened, the moth suddenly opens its wings, surprising predators with the "flash" of its red wings. It has a wingspan of 42–52 mm, is easily recognizable, and is widely distributed throughout Europe. Despite being a moth, it's not particularly nocturnal and prefers to fly during the day. Did you know? In the "Valley of the Butterflies" [...]

Mahaleb cherry Between aromas and perfumes Mahaleb cherry, also called St Lucie cherry (Prunus mahaleb) flowers in late April. It is a non-thorny, highly branched shrub that reaches 2 to 5 meters, sometimes even more. The white flowers with 5 petals , very fragrant, are arranged in a corymbose inflorescence and are visited by bees who obtain a fine honey . The pea-sized fruits are first yellow, then red and finally black when ripe. They are very bitter and sour, they are not edible for humans but are sought after by birds. The mahaleb cherry thrives well on arid and [...]

Icarus - An elegant blue dress The Icarus butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) is one of the most common European butterflies; small and striking, it belongs to the Lycaenidae family. The male is of a vibrant blue color , while the female can range from dark brown to blue. It mainly inhabits plains and hills, rarely venturing beyond 1800 meters in altitude. The caterpillars feed on many species of legumes, such as clover . Did you know? The caterpillars of Icarus are often tended to by ants , thanks to their sugary secretions; sometimes, the ants carry the larvae to their own [...]

From 16 to 21 October, PollinAction researchers Edy Fantinato and Sebastiano Favarin will participate in the 12th European Entomology Congress ECE 2023 in Crete! This is a great opportunity to meet researchers and projects working on habitat restoration and pollinator conservation and compare ideas and experiences. Edy Fantinato will present a research on interactions between Apis mellifera and other pollinators in hay meadows while Sebastiano Favarin will bring a poster on the effects of the management of hay meadows on the pollinator community that inhabit them. LIFE Programme #LIFEprogramme #LIFEproject #EUpollinators #Natura2000 #pollinators #bees United Nations Biodiversity LIFE Greenchange LIFE [...]