A natural biodiversity oasis somewhere in Ukraine (with permission of the author Lyubov Ilminska)

Daphne cneorum, commonly known as Garland flower or Spurge-laurel. This rare, relict species is listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine.  

Daphne cneorum has an interesting and apt informal name - "forest lilac". Not only for the similarity of its flowers but also for its very strong lilac scent. In the forest, you can quickly "sniff out" the plant, and then see it. Another even sweeter folk name is "borovychok".

Upon closer inspection, the petals seem dusted with a golden shiny powder.

Daphne cneorum is extremely sensitive to lighting conditions and forest stand structure. It equally dislikes both bright light and dense shade. It disappears in pure pine plantations, in places where coniferous and mixed forests are replaced by broad-leaved ones, in dense thickets of aspen or birch.

From all around, butterflies flock to the clearings with Daphne cneorum. Old World swallowtail (Papilio machaon). Red Data Book of Ukraine.

Brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni). There are plenty of them here because of the abundant supply of buckthorn, which is a food plant for their caterpillars.

Eresus moravicus, male. This spider is rarely found in the Cherkasy region. It prefers wide, sunny forest clearings and steppes. Males have an interesting behavioral trait. When encountering danger, they raise their front legs and shake their abdomen slightly. It is advisable to take the spider's threats seriously. It is said that an Eresus bite is extremely unpleasant.

Green lizard (Lacerta viridis). Listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. This handsome lizard is adorned in its spring mating colors. Now, the female certainly won't confuse him with the green male of the sand lizard.

Leafless Iris (Iris aphylla). A regionally rare species. The plant primarily represents steppe flora, but can also grow in large, bright, dry forest clearings.

The flowers of the iris evolved to attract large wild bees. Primarily bumblebees and carpenter bees.

Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris). Red Data Book of Ukraine.

Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) and its constant companion, the lily beetle (Lilioceris merdigera).

Eastern pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens). Listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. Plants in bloom are much easier to spot among the greenery, but if you know the plant well beyond its bright flowers, you can enjoy encountering it even outside the flowering period.

Pulsatilla patens. The fluffy seeds are ready for dispersal.

Meadow pasqueflower (Pulsatilla pratensis). Listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. Finishing its bloom in the heat.

For some reason, there's a widespread myth among the inhabitants of the western part of Cherkasy region that Lily of the valley is listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. It is true that it is not very common in oak-hornbeam forests and does not form extensive carpets. However, in coniferous and mixed forests, it is a common species adapted to a wide range of conditions. Sometimes, you can't even walk without stepping on dozens of these plants.

What forestries managing coniferous and mixed forests really lack is deadwood. There's even less of it here than in broad-leaved forests. Perhaps this is somehow related to the peculiarities of pine cultivation and the frequency of thinning cuts.

In maintained forestries, pines are not allowed to grow large and sprawling.

Not very conspicuous but poorly studied moss found in bright forests — Buxbaumia aphylla.

Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus). Red Data Book of Ukraine. Possibly preys on lizards.

Rhysodes sulcatus. Red Data Book of Ukraine. An indicator of valuable ancient forests and primeval forests. IUCN status: threatened with extinction. Encountered about 10 individuals, which is already an extraordinary event and a significant argument in favor of granting protected status to the forest areas where it resides.

Black carpenter ant, Camponotus vagus. It is absolutely common, a background species in coniferous forests of eastern Cherkasy region, and extremely rare in oak-hornbeam forests in the western part of the region.

Ant queen. Camponotus vagus.

The largest "false black widow" ever seen in Cherkasy region — Steatoda bipunctata.

Some very large species of wolf spider. Possibly Alopecosa pulverulenta.

What's happening here is unclear. A female Crab spider (Misumena vatia) met a female Gibbaranea bituberculata on an open flower. They saw each other, touched each other with their legs, hugged, and then parted ways. Throughout all of this, long-legged harvestmen were constantly running around in the background and underfoot. No one ate anyone or even bit anyone.

Not everything beautiful has to be big and bright. Thesium ebracteum.

Psephellus sumensis.<br>

Lycaena phlaeas, the Small Copper butterfly. Here it's a common species, but it's not found in the western part of Cherkasy region. There, a similar but larger and rarer species, Lycaena dispar, is present.

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus). The first spring swallow among blues. It emerges as soon as the sun starts to warm up and flies until late autumn.

Callophrys rubi. Associated with raspberry and blackberry bushes.

Bright clearings — the kingdom of jumping spiders. All shapes, sizes, species, and colors. They are observed everywhere. They make ambushes in pine cones.

White-tailed cuckoo bumblebee (Bombus vestalis). This species of cuckoo bumblebee is a nest parasite of the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris).

Among hundreds of western beetles, one eastern chafer (Melolontha hippocastani) was caught.

The March fly, most likely of the species Bibio lanigerus. Massively appears in spring, making it an extremely useful creature. The larvae participate in soil formation processes, while adult insects feed almost the entire forest! During their mass emergence, March flies are eaten and contribute to the growth of young lizards, feed steppe and forest birds' chicks, nourish bats, are preyed upon by spiders, shrikes, and other predatory insects.

The tree pipit (Anthus trivialis). Despite its name, this bird is a common inhabitant of meadow-steppe landscapes. However, it can also often be found in forest clearings. The tree pipit's voice adds new acoustic nuances to the forest ambiance.

The most abundant species of agaric mushrooms in pine forests is the Strobilurus tenacellus. It grows on old pine cones submerged in the ground.

The Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne). If there are many fritillaries in the forest, there must be plenty of violets somewhere.

The Granulated Bolete (Boletus granulatus). In April!

In an attempt to determine the type of forest to which certain most distinct areas belong, it was concluded that the patchy forest massif combines not just one type of substands.

Areas with extremely poor sandy soil, where little grows besides lichens, constitute a separate biotope. It is inhabited by tiger beetles, ant lions, wolf spiders, wasps that prey on wolf spiders, robber flies, and numerous sand-loving ants.

Traps and traces of ant lions.

Ant lion (Myrmeleon formicarius).

Dune Tiger Beetle (Cicindela soluta).

And this tiger beetle is more interesting. Identified as Cicindela sahlbergii. It is not found in the territory of Cherkasy region.

A magnificent, giant pine that ended its life and remains in natural conditions.

Spruce sawyer beetle (Rhagium inquisitor). Turns out it's also found in pine forests.

Birch sawyer beetle (Rhagium mordax).

The Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris) with a beak full of insects, so preoccupied with caring for its offspring that it didn't notice being filmed.

The nest of a siskin.

Thanks to large forest clearings, representatives of steppe fauna have found a comfortable place in the forest. It's difficult to quantify the population of the green lizard here, but in the 500-hectare area we started studying, we expect to find 200-300 individuals. Male green lizard.

For comparison, here's a male Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis). This species also lives here alongside the green lizard, but in smaller numbers.

Encountered this "creature" - most likely Symphytocarpus falccidus.

Eumerus ovatus. There is little information about it. It's a scarce and poorly studied species.

A sunbeam rarely encountered in Cherkasy region — Coccinula quatuordecimpustulata.

Everyone knows about the large pine beetle, but birch beetles are less well-known. The birch jewel beetle (Dicerca furcata) and the ant that decided to test its armor.

The Lesser Thorn-tipped Longhorn Beetle (Molorchus minor) on the flowers of Mitschurin's aronia (Sorbaronia mitschurinii). The beetle is scarce and harmless, while the aronia (black chokeberry) seems to be striving to earn the title of a new invasive species.

Oak Maze polypore (Fomitopsis quercina). A fungus with a uniquely picturesque texture of its hymenophore.

Pandivirilia eximia. It seems to be the first discovery in the territory of Ukraine.