The longer I go to one place, my favorite place for a quick weekend getaway, the more I become convinced that climate change is not just an invention of scientists. I have been going to this place in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland for over 30 years, but radical changes in the climate only appeared about 10 years ago.
This applies to everything, all nature, fauna and flora. This year, however, the first surprise was Góra Chełm, which is a reserve in this area. Normally, at the end of September, the mountain turns red, and in mid-October the beeches covering the mountain are practically devoid of leaves. Below are two photos taken a few years ago. The first from September, the second from October.
This year is completely different. In mid-October, the mountain is green and the trees in the forest, mainly beeches, look as if they were in early spring. The green is lush and dynamic. What's going on?
Climate changes are noticeable not only by unpredictable weather, but also by the migration of some species of creatures to regions where they have never lived.
I met a praying mantis a few years ago, in the Lublin Voivodeship, and it was a great surprise to me. In turn, the last trip to the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland allowed me to discover another creature whose home is several hundred kilometers south of Poland.
This creature is a certain species of cricket (Ephippiger terrestris), which theoretically occurs only in warm regions of Europe, i.e. France, Italy and Switzerland. The Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, with its rather specific climate, is certainly not one of them.
Additionally, this creature occurs at altitudes of 1,000 to 2,000 m above sea level, which does not match the place where I found it.
The specimen is a female Ephippiger terrestris with a visible ovipositor. The insect itself looks quite swollen, probably getting ready to lay eggs.
An interesting fact is that I was doing a photo session of mushrooms growing in the area at this time of year and I accidentally came across this creature. This species of cricket is omnivorous, so it probably ate a mushroom
