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 [...]

Hemp agrimony Hemp agrimony (scientific name Eupatorium cannabinum) is a large and beautiful perennial plant of the Asteraceae family, typically growing over 90 cm tall. Its name derives from the resemblance of its leaves to those of common hemp, although they are not related. The stems are reddish, and the tiny flowers are antique pink , lightly fragrant, clustered in heads to form large inflorescences. Pollination occurs through bees and butterflies These plants add splashes of color along rivers, in marshy areas, and in the forests of wetlands. In fact, their presence in an understory is an indicator of soil [...]