Entomological tour
Qazaqstan - is a country in Central Asia with the great territory equal to 717.300 sq.km. From North to South the following natural zones are presented: forest-steppe, steppe, semi-deserts and deserts, in mountain chain and near rivers there are deciduous and coniferous forests and meadows.
The variety of natural landscape leads to existence of the great amount of insects. According to preliminary received information there are more than 30 thousand species in Kazakhstan. About half of them are endemic of Kazakhstan, Asia and some more tight areolas.
The suggested tour contains visit to mountain ridges of Tayn Shan (Zailiiskii Alatau, TalasskiiAlatau and Karatau) with adjoining deserts (Saryishikotrau, Taukum).
The itinerary was worked out by Candidate of biological science Ishkov E.V.,Katirbekov R.H. and Master Ishkov L.E.
Duration: 14 days (13 nights).Season: May - September.
Accommodation: Hotels, tents
Meal: full board, lunch box, hot dinner.
Transport: trains and comfortable buses.
Tour description.
Day 1. Arrival to Almaty. Excursion to cathedral, museums, central market and hothouse. All this is for those who so desire.Day 2. Excursion to canyon of the river Charyn (200 kilometers) and then return to Almaty. Charyn is the left tributary of the river Ili that has a deep canyon. Conglomerate rocks of this canyon are divided into the great number of tight gorges and detached rocks that have very interesting and remarkable outlines. On the bottom of the deep red-yellow canyon there is a turquoise ribbon of the river framed by verdure of the gallery forest. There will be also a stop in ravine Kokpek. Different kinds of insects species and Arachnida will be shown during this excursion. Such as order-Coleoptera: Callisthenes semenovi amethystinus, Lethrus spp., Cerathophysus mesasiaticus, Dorcadion orietinum chilikensis, D. orientinum charynensis; order-Lepidoptera: Coenonympha mognolica, Melitaea pseudoala, Satyris spp,; order-Opthoptera:Conophyma.
Days 3-4. Almaty-Kapchagai-Bakanas (210 km) Lodging for the night in tents or hotel in Bakanas. Desert Saryishikotrau. During this trip there will be 3 or 4 stops for excursions: first stop for sightseeing of Kapchagai environs, then a stop in Berlik gorge and the last one in environs of Kapchagai. One of the days will be devoted to insects with night activity demonstration. Insects of sandy, alkali soil, earthen deserts and gallery forest of Ili river will be presented during this excursion. You'll see absolute majority of species endemic of different classes: order-Scorpions: Galiodes spp., order-Coleoptera: Cicindella spp., Callisthenes ssp., Carabus sp., Elaphrus riparius, Scarabaeus babori, Julodis variolaris, Sphenoptera spp., Bulaea lichatschevi, Thea vigintiduopunctata, Oodescelis simils, Anatolina sp., Mylabris spp., Cerocoma schafferi, Turanium scabrum Xylotrechus grumi, Dorcadion pantherinum shamaevi, D. kapshagaicus, D. obsinthium, Bedelia kokandika, Coniatus spp., order-Lepidoptera: Papilio machaon centris, Hypermenestra gelios, Catocala spp., Sphingidae spp. (Sphinx) and many others.
Day 5. Bakanas-Konshengil,desert named Sarytaukum (180 km) Lodging for the night in tents. Sandy desert, barkhans. Arashnida: Eresus niger, araneus sp., Mesobuthus sp.; Coleoptera: Agapanthia aulliensis, Asmaeoderella spp., Dorcation pantherinum, Trigonoscellis schrenkii; Lepidoptera: Zegris fausti, Saturus sp.
Day 6. Konshengil-Mountains Hantau (200 km) Lodging for the night in tents. Mountains with steppe vegetation. Insects: Coleoptera: Callisthenes elegans, Cymindis massageta, Dorcadion pumilio, Scarabaeus babori, Sinapsis tmolus.
Day 7. Hantau. Preserve Aksu-Dzhabagly (430 km) Lodging for the night in the hotel.
Days 8-10. Preserve Aksu-Dzhabagly, mountain ridge Talasskii Alatau. Excursions to different gorges with visit of Kshi-Kaindy, canyon of the river Aksu. Lodging for the night in the hotel, camping. Insects: Coleoptera: Callisthenes kuschakevitschi, Carabus spp., Amphicoma regeli, Lethrus spp., Agaphantia spp., Meliboeus amethysthinus, Chrysolina polita, Lixus tchimkehticus. Lepidoptera: Parnassius mnemosina, P.Apollonius, Colias sp., Poliomathus icaris.
Day 11. Aksu-Dzhabagly-Kurdai-Almaty (630 km). Lodging for the night in houses. Insects: Coleoptera: Callisthenes elegans, Cetonia spp., Dorcadion tianschanskii, Lixus spp., Mylabris spp.
Days 12-13. Zailiiskii Alatau, Kaskelen and Big Almaty Gorge. Lodging for the night in houses. Insects: Coleoptera: Cicindella turkestanica, Carabus spp., D. grande (is the most big representative of this kind),Meloe spp., Agapanthya detrita. Lepidoptera: Anthocharis cardamines, Colias spp., Melanargia sp., Hymenoptera: Xylocopa valga, Bombus spp.
Day 14. Almaty. During this tour not only insects but also the most interesting plant species will be shown. The tour lasts 14 days and the total length of the itinerary is about 2000 kilometres. The period of tour is from the final April to the beginning of May.
Cost of the tour includes: VISA support, accommodation in guesthouses, food during the tour, vehicles with drivers, the ecological taxes on the territory of National Parks, rental payment of the sport and kitchen equipment, guide-interpreter, cook.