Writer: Yavuz İşçen
May 2008

The butterfly diversity of Turkey
Because of the diversity of its habitat, Turkey hosts different species of animal and vegetable. It is one of the significant countries in Europe due to the vast diversity of butterfly. Turkey has a total of 384 different kinds of butterflies including the new species found, and this number is being increased constantly. If we say that whole Europe has 500 different species of butterfly, the diversity of Turkey would be apprehended more. Also, it is confirmed that, 22 of 384 species, based in Turkey are endemic.

The tricks of Butterfly Photography
As it is very well known by the people who tail after a butterfly in order to photo; it is not really easy to see this animal as if it is perching. The butterflies are cold blooded animals. They cannot fly unless the temperature rises to 12-13 degrees. Therefore the warm and sunny days are the best days for them to fly. During early in the mornings when the temperature does not go up yet and during the evenings when the temperature goes down, the movements of butterflies decreases. If we can try to photo them during these hours, we might be more successful in catching the right scene.
Butterflies can see very well but they are deaf. That’s why you do not need to worry about being very silent. However, it will be better for you to draw on them with soft and silent movements since they can perceive the vibration very well.
The butterflies love to have a break on dewy soil. Especially the places like streamside and spring sometimes occupied by the butterflies because the dewy soil provides the male butterfly the necessary minerals that he needs for reproduction. If you are able to find such a place, please inform me as well because it is easy to come close to the butterflies in such a circumstance.

What do you think, how many different butterfly species live in Cappadocia?
Cappadocia is like a treasure for the photographers and butterfly fans with its natural valleys, dewy and virgin ambient. Below you may find the list of butterfly species I prepared for you. The list consists of 31 species and please do not take into consideration that the list was prepared after a long scientific surveys, it is only the list of the butterflies that I came across during my trekking in Cappadocia.

	Scientific Names	English Names	Turkish Names
1	Anthocharis cardamines	Orange Tip	Turuncu Süslü Kelebek
2	Aporia crataegi	Black-Veined White	Alıç Kelebeği
3	Arethusana arethusa	False Grayling	Seyit
4	Argynnis niobe	Niobe Fritillary	Niyobe
5	Argynnis pandora	Cardinal	Bahadır
6	Argynnis paphia	Silver-washed Fritillary	Cengaver
7	Chazara briseis	The Hermit	Cadı
8	Chazara persephone	Great Steppe Grayling	Step Cadısı
9	Colias alfacariensis	Southern Clouded Yellow	Türkistan Azameti
10	Colias aurorina	Anatolian Clouded Yellow	Anadolu Azameti
11	Colias crocea	Dark Clouded Yellow	Sarı Azamet
12	Goneptery cleopatra	Cleopatra	Kleopatra
13	Gonepteryx rhamni	Brimstone	Orak Kanat
14	Iphiclides podalirius	Scarce Swallowtail	Erik Kırlangıçkuyruğu
15	Issoria lathonia	Queen of Spain Fritillary	İspanyol Kraliçesi
16	Limenitis reducta	Southern White Admiral	Akdeniz Hanımeli Kelebeği
17	Lycaena phlaeas	Small Copper	Benekli Bakır Kelebeği
18	Lycaena tityrus	Sooty Copper	İsli Bakır Kelebeği
19	Lycaena virgaureae	Scarce Copper	Orman Bakır Kelebeği
20	Maniola jurtina	Meadow Brown	Çayır Esmeri
21	Melanargia hylata	Menetries Marbled White	Azeri Melikesi
22	Melanargia larissa	Balkan Marbled White	Anadolu Melikesi
23	Melanargia syriaca	Syrian Marbled White	Kara Melike
24	Meliteae punica	Algerian Flitillary	Cezayirli Iparhan
25	Minois dryas	Dryad	Kara Hayalet
26	Nymphalis xanthomelas	Yellow-Legged Tortoiseshell	Sarı Ayaklı Nimfalis
27	Pontia daplidice	Bath White	Benekli Melek
28	Papilio machaon	Swallowtail	Kırlangıçkuyruk
29	Parnassius apollon	Apollo	Apollo
30	Pieris brassicae	Large White	Büyük Beyaz Melek
31	Plebeius agestis	Brown Argus	Çok Gözlü Esmer
32	Polygonia c-album	Comma	Yırtık Pırtık
33	Polyommatus corydonius	False Chalk-Hill Blue	Çok Gözlü Yalancı Çilli
34	Polyommatus phyllis	Phyllis Blue	Çok Gözlü İran Mavisi
35	Polyommatus syriacus	Lebanese Adonis Blue	Çok Gözlü Levantin Mavisi
36	Pontia edusa	New Bath White	Yeni Benekli Melek
37	Proterebia afra	Steppe Ringlet	Uygur Güzel Esmeri
38	Pseudochazara anthelea	White-banded Tawny Rockbrown	Anadolu Yalancı Cadısı
39	Thymelicus sylvestris	Small Skipper	Sarı Antenli Zıp Zıp
40	Vanessa atalanta	Red Admiral	Atalanta
41	Zerynthia deyrollei	Eastern Step Festoon	Oriyental Step Fisto Kelebeği
	Güveler
1	Arctia villica	Cream-Spot Tiger	Bağ Çadır Tırtılı
2	Saturnia pyri	Great peacok moth	Gece Tavus Kelebeği
3	Zygaena kapadokia	Cappadocia moth	Kapadokya Kelebeği

Note: This article has been published in Peribacası Cappadocia Culture and Publicity Magazine, May 2008 issue. It is under protection of the copyrights of the magazine. No part of this article may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by electronic, mechanical or other means without prior permission from the owner. www.cappadociaexplorer.com