Ritam srbije / Rhythm of serbia
The blooming of the Tisza Bridal dance of life and death The Tisza mayfly spends three years growing in the mud, only to burst to the surface in the middle of June to ensure its continuation as a species, but also to face the immediate end of its life, leaving behind only mayfly carcasses strewn across the river surface T he Tisza mayfly outlived the dinosaurs, but might not outlive man. They were common- place decades ago, found on all major Europe- an rivers, but pollution has all but destroyed this unique event. Each year, the blooming of the Tisza – an extreme- ly rare and beautiful cyclical natural event for which this river is known and unique – delights the nature lovers who are fortunate enough to find themselves in the right place at the right time. Given that the exact date of this insect mating ritual varies constantly and is dependent on the ideal conditions for mating, this natural event brings great joy to the entire course of the Tisza. Several conditions must come together to ensure the coupling of male and female mayflies is the final re- sult: first and foremost a clay riverbed, then a water tem- perature of 20 degrees and the absence of strong winds. The males emerge first, then seek out the females. That’s why this phenomenon can’t be predicted with mathe- matical precision. It’s known to happen during the pe- riod from 7 th to 24 th June, though there are even years when it doesn’t happen at all. For the long-tailed Tisza mayfly, Palingenia longicauda, the first two days of the mating cycle represent preparation, with the phenome-
non reaching its peak from the third to the fifth day. Al- though the Tisza mayfly is considered a one-day insect, it actually lives for a full three years – spending almost the entire time as larva in the clay riverbed. The males see the light of day first, with tens of thou- sands of them appearing on the surface of the water as larvae, only to transform into beautiful mayflies in just a few minutes. They hatch and head to the riverbank, seeking solid ground or the leaf of a tree, and transform again within five minutes, freed of their outer covering and exposed so they can commence their bridal flight. These insects spend about three years preparing in the deep, thick sludge of the river’s banks and bed for just one thing that they need to achieve during just one day: the continuation of their species. Thick clouds of insects begin whirling over the calm waters of the river that sat dormant until just a few seconds before, while the flap- ping of the tiny wings of tens of thousands of Tisza may- flies make it no longer possible to even hear the waves. After mating, the females rise high into the air and form a large tubular formation above the middle of the river, before flying two or three kilometres upstream to lay their eggs, which will fall naturally, carried by the riv- er current, back to the mating site, only for the next gen- eration to appear in the same spot as their parents, three years later. It takes two to three weeks for the fertilised eggs to hatch into larvae, which burrow into the clay riv- erbed and spend three years developing. The bridal flight of this ancient and unique insect produces the biggest and most impressive swarms in the area near Kanjiža and Senta, which also provides an opportunity for nature lovers to head out onto the riv- er and enjoy this unique event. Serbia’s waterways are home to several species of mayfly, but none of them have contours and mating flights that are as attractive as the Tisza mayfly. This is the largest mayfly species in Europe, measuring 8-10 centimetres in length. The at- tractive bridal dance, which starts in the late afternoon hours, represents a captivating phenomenon and a source of inspiration for many artists.
Od lepeta krila desetina hiljada tiskih cvetova više nije moguće čuti ni talase The flapping of the tiny wings of tens of thousands of Tisza mayflies make it no longer possible to even hear the waves
Најчвршће везе почивају на подршци, поверењу и сигурности.
Тако заједно чувамо оно највредније, једни друге.
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