Nous recevons de Yuri Berezhnoi ces propositions de voyages entomologiques en Oussouri.

Mr. Yuri Ivanovich Berezhnoi
18-26, Safonov Street, Vladivostok 690 011, Russia.
Phone: +7-916-373-5774 (speaks Russian and English)
e-mail : butterflies@mail.ru

(cliquer sur cartes et photos pour un meilleur effet !)

Note préliminaire de lepidofrance.fr

L’Oussouri est la région explorée au début du XXe siècle par Vladimir Arsen’ev, le célèbre auteur de Dersou Ouzala que le réalisateur japonais Akira Kurosawa a porté à l’écran en 1975.

Dersou Ouzala, film de Kurosawa Akira (1975) avec Maxime Munzuk (Dersou Ouzala) et Yuri Solomine (Vladimir Arseniev)

Nous recommandons la lecture des ouvrages de Vladimir Arsen’ev traduits en français :
• Arseniev, V., Dersou Ouzala, Pygmalion, Paris, 1977, 314 p. (seconde édition en 1991).
• Arseniev, V., Aux confins de l’Amour (V gorakh Sikhote-Alinia), Actes Sud, 1994, 234 p.

On trouvera de nombreuses données sur les rhopalocères de l’Oussouri dans :

• Gorbunov, Pavel & Kosterin, Oleg, The butterflies of North Asia (Asian part of Russia) in Nature
Volume 1. 2003, Moscow & Cheliabinsk, 300×235 mm, 783 col. photos, col. maps, index, in English. Hdb, 392 pp.
Volume 2. 2007, Moscow, 300×235 mm, 852 col. photos, col. maps, index, in English. Hdb, 408 pp.

Nous remercions vivement Nikolaj Nikolaevic Balatskij, ornithologue à Novosibirsk, pour sa contribution photographique.

Sites internet recommandés :
• Lépidoptères de l’Oussouri (Papillons de Primorie – site de Nikolaj Nikolaevic Balatskij)
• La région des Monts Sinyi (Chrebet Sinij – site de Nikolaj Nikolaevic Balatskij, photos, en russe)
• La région à l’Est de Spassk Dal’nij (N. N. Balatskij)
• Au Sud du Lac Khanka (N. N. Balatskij)

Entomological and Nature History Tours : USSURI

At any requested time from April to October 2010

Welcome to the Ussuri land of Russian Far East, with our entomological and Natural History Tour ! We arrange tours since 2002 and had many tourists from over the world. Comfortable apartments, travel to places by cross-country vehicle, cooking, guiding and other services are provided for tour members. Not only entomologists but other kinds of naturalists invited to join ! Check our tour prospectus. Meet in Ussuri !

About The Ussuri Country

Ussuri region situated in the southern part of Far Eastern Russia between the Pacific Ocean and Ussuri River along the Chinese border. Forest-covered hills and mountains at 300-1000 m (maximum 2000 m) altitude create main landscapes, and some areas have vast meadows and steppes. There are many rivers and lakes, including one of the largests in the world – Khanka Lake. Siberian cedar entwined by tropical looking liana – an emblem of local Nature, formed as a unique “union” of southern and northern biotas. Here you can see exotic and rare plants : aralia, philodendron, maakia, ginseng, dimorfant, microbiota, amur grape, taxus, manchurian aristolochia, various species of birches, maples, limes and lianas, and great selection of flowers. Fauna is also variable and showy, and presented by four species of deer, three species of bear, far-eastern leopard, amur tiger, harza, sable, goral, musk-deer and many other mammals, a huge diversity of birds, reptilians, amphibians and fishes, and plenty of insects. About 10% species of local flora and fauna belong to relicts and endemics, making the Ussuri Nature by one of most territorial over the North Palaearctic. A small population, or just about 2 millions for a territory of Spain size, together with limited assimilation permitted to save the wildlife in very good condition. Some places of the Ussuri Country still not investigated – a real Terra Incognita !

Local insects

Ussurian entomofauna considered the one of most variable in Palaearctic area, gathering taxa from Europe, Siberia, Far East, Manchuria, Japan and even subtropical regions. It presented by forestry, meadow, steppe, rocky, cave, alpine and other ecological groups and includes many endemics.

Local butterflies will number about 250 species and presented 11 species of Papilionidae (4 species of Parnassius), 7 species of Limenitis, 5 species of Neptis, various Clossiana, Boloria, Melitaea, Erebia and Colias, a large assortment of Lycaenidae (17 species of Zephirus and Thecla), Hesperiidae and others. Many taxa belongs to endemics (Seokia pratti, Goldia pacifica, Celastrina oreas, Atara betuloides, Protantigius superans, Carterocephalus dieckmanni etc.), described in only this region and limited environs. Ussuri butterflies flying in each place in number and many species – here is an easy to get a desirable batch even in a short excursion !

(Voir en fin d’article d’autres photos de lépidoptères)

There is an excellent possibilities for a coleopterist trophy, who could get various Carabidae, including two dozen species of Carabus and many Cicindela, more than 200 species of Cerambycidae, with amazing blue-sky Rosalia coelestes and a beetle “Godzilla” Callipogon relictus (8-10 cm size !), a great variety of Buprestidae, Scarabaeidae, Curculionidae, Chrysomelidae, Dytiscydae, Sylphidae, Staphilinidae and beetles in other groups. Many their taxons putting to endemics and forming even separate families, as Sikhotealinidae and Amphizoidae.

You can find in this region various interesting dragonflies, cicadas, grasshoppers, warps, bees, flies and other insects.

Tour itineraries

We offer below on your choose following tour itineraries. You can inquire also for other itinerary, not stated in the tour prospectus, but please do it in advance (2-3 months before the tour).

• Livadyiskyi and Big Vorobei Mts, 60 km to the East from Vladivostok. Landscapes : broad-leaved (70%) and coniferous (30%) forest, valley meadows, small marshes, rocks, small subalpine meadows and small steppe locality. Staying will be provided in a wild mountain-forest area at comfortable bungalow or/and guest house, with sharing a separate room for 2 and 3 persons. Collecting is possible by step with getting localities at electric train but you can hire the car with driver (or without driver) for some days or all the tour time.

• Sinyi Mts, 150 km to the North-East from Vladivostok. Landscapes : big plain and valley meadows, broad-leaved (60%) and coniferous (40%) forest, small marshes, small steppe points. Staying in a hotel of Spassk city and visit collecting places by local taxi, bus or/and the hired car.

• Two areas of Sichote-Alin Mts, to your choice : in a middle and northern part of Ussuri region. Landscapes : broad-leaved (40%) and coniferous (60%) forest, hill and valley meadows, rocks, big subalpine meadows, big marshes, small lakes. You will stay in a hotel of Dalnegorsk city (middle Ussuri) and comfortable guesthouse in Molodyozhnyi village (north Ussuri). Collecting localities available by step, local bus, taxi or/and the hired car.

• Khanka Lake area, 150 km from Vladivostok. Landscapes : forest-steppe, meadows, big marshes, big lake. You have for staying a two-person room at local touring base or guesthouse and intended to collect by step or/and the hired car.

• Southern part of Ussuri region at Andreevka village, 80 km to the South-West from Vladivostok. Landscapes : broad-leaved forest, hill meadows and steppes, seacoast rocks, small marshes. Staying is in a comfortable guesthouse or tourist base at the seacoast. Visits collecting places by step or/and the hired car.

• Vladivostok area and Sea Islands. Landscapes : broad-leaved (90%) and coniferous (10%) forest, hill and valley meadows, seacoast rocks, small marshes. Staying in a hotel and visit collecting places by bus, electric train, taxi, sea ferry or/and the hired car.

Weather

Ussurian climate in summer may be compared with the one of a seacoast of Northern Europe, being a comfortable for travels and nature excursions. Temperatures range usually takes 23-28° C during the day and 14-20 at night. The humidity is about 70-80. There are a frequent rains and typhoons are possible in some days, but then usually stated a long sunny weather. A “sunny top” of the region situated in its continental parts (Spassk area), where 80 % of days of summer are sunny and the “cloudy top”, or the only 50 % of sunny days – along the sea (Vladivostok and islands). The most sunniest period is August-October and most cloudy – May and June.

Note on a health grade

Ussuri travel is quite easy for health. We had Japanese collectors about 80 years old, who had excursions several hours every day. Low mountain altitudes, walking by forest roads and soft day temperatures permits you do not afraid on your health levels during and after the tour. If you have problems of health but thinking on “a moderate insect safari”, Ussuri region will be the one of best places for your collecting activity.

Safety

Bear, tiger and other “wild brothers” may cross occasionally our tourist paths. Usually they are not aggressive toward a man but put a little bell to your backpack, which scaring them, for safety. Be careful collecting in dry and stony places, as two species of poisonous snakes inhabits there. Local ticks carry an encephalic disease (0,02% of adults). Take a vaccination before the trip to avoid this danger and walk at excursion by not overgrown roads, where the ticks absented. The region has low level of crime, comparing with the ones in Western Union, but it will be a better do not keep values in the place of stay during excursion and take it with you. The wildlife inspectors are rare like tiger but it will be a safer to put aside your net, if you hear in a forest a car !

Dates of tour

Any times you prefer, from April to October. The best time for collecting Ussurian butterflies and beetles will be from May to August, with top of diversity in July. Moth collecting is more productive in August-September.

Number of members

Not limited. You can travel alone or with large group. The optimal group size will be maximum a 7-8 members, because some insect localities are small for visiting by many collectors. Note that group travel helps you to save on some “united payments”, checked for a car, cooking and other services.

Touring items

You have to take all your personal collecting and photographic equipment. If you are planned camping, you will need to bring a tent, a sleeping bag and a mat or airbed. Put to the baggage a backpack for carrying equipment, lunch and water at daily excursions. If you wish to collect at night out of apartment’s lighting, you should bring an electricity generator. Take a little torch, which useful at night, when generator stopped. Bring a light sport sandals or trainers for trekking by forest roads, and hard covering boots, if you plan to visit stony localities, plus top-boots for excursions after rains. Take a pack of mosquito repellent, as gnats and midges plague some moist localities. Have an umbrella or rain coat. Do not forget a little bell, to scare of some larger animals.

Services and cost

We are providing all necessary tour services, which will be checked with prices below. You should inform us before the tour what services you need. It will be included in your tour program, with calculation costs per service and total tour payment. You may inquire also for services not stated in the tour prospectus, as it may be arranged specially.

Following tour services are available, with prices in US dollars :
• Visa support. $75 a person a tour.
• Registration. $35 a person a tour, and no taxes, if you will stay in some hotels, proving registration included in the cost of stay.

• Meeting at your arrival. You should arrive for beginning the tour to Vladivostok airport or train station. If you have problem of tickets, we could meet you also in Khabarovsk. The cost of meeting is free but you pay for departure (see a following point).

• Departure to the tour area. We are providing taxi or tour car with driver. It is a possible to get some places also by local bus, train and ship. Taxi takes average $60-70 a group a hour, tour car with driver – $25-30 a group a hour for a short distance and $100-110 a group a day plus cost of gasoline ($8-10 per 100 km a group) – for long distance, bus, train and ship – $2-4 a person a hour.

• Staying. You can stay during the tour or part time in a tent, which quite comfortable in a local warm climate, or book our tour apartments. There are available all or partly, according the tour area : a city or road hotels ($25-110 for one-man room a person a day in Vladivostok and $25-40 over the region), a tourist and hunter bases ($30-50 a person a day), a private flats and guesthouses ($20-30). You have discount at 25-40%, booking occupation of two and more persons a room. Staying in tent is no taxed but you should bring a tent with all tourist equipment, or book it before the tour from the tour organizer (cost is $5-7 a piece a day).

• Feeding. Provision is buying before or/and during the tour, according to your “wish description” and at an agreeing local prices. The service is free of charge but if you need provision before the tour, please, send a pre-payment. The cost of “a simple food basket” takes $10-15 a person a day, with exception of cooking service. You have a right to cook all the tour yourself, using our kitchen equipment and gas for free cost, and you can inquire for a cooking service, takes $50-70 a group a day for a hiring of a professional cook and 2-3 times lesser – for the common ones.

• Tour driving. Collecting places may be visited by step and the remote ones – by local bus, train, ship, taxi or tour car. The costs are indicated in the point of “Departure”.

• Guiding. You can travel without guide, to get localities yourself by map from the tour organizer, giving for free cost, and you can inquire for a guiding assistance to our tour driver ($8-10 a group an excursion). The driver knows tour itineraries but he does not familiar with insect localities and identification of species. Also he does not speak English. To have better services, you can hire our professional entomological guide. The guide is a good speaks English, he will show you exact localities of many species and groups of insects, to escort you in a wild and help on taxon identification. Guiding assistance costs $35 a group a day, plus payment of feeding together with staying of guide (see the above prices) during the time of his hiring. You do not pay for staying of guide in some guesthouses and private flats, where he invited to stay without charges (inquire for details).

• Sauna, calls, Internet, medicine and other tour services. We are able to provide many of them, too. Inquire for details and prices to the tour organizer.

• Sending off. The terms and cost are same as for meeting (see above).

• All participants should pay also tax for the tour arrangements: $350 per person a tour.

Payment

We need in pre-payment, if you inquired for preparation of visa or/and getting provision before the tour starts. The tax of the tour arrangements ($350 a person a tour) is also paying in advance. Payment of other services and provision may be made during the tour, with its ordering.

Visa

Most visitors of Russia needs in applying of visa. You can ask for visa arrangements to the tour firms in your country or our tour organizer. We need for processing of visa an e-mail or fax copy of your international passport and filled application (sending you separately). Inquire for booking of visa as soon as a possible, as usually it takes a long bureaucracy.

How you can get Vladivostok

You can get Vladivostok via flights from Moscow and other big cities in Russia, and from foreign regions : Japan, China, South Korea and Vietnam. If there are booked yet all tickets, you can fly to Khabarovsk (700 km to the north), where is possible to meet you, too. You can get Vladivostok also by train from Western Russia and Ukraine. By bus from China and ship from Japan… Why not for a tour experience ! The only check us till 1-2 months and minimum a week before the tour starts about your variant of arrival, No and date of flight, so that we had time to prepare you meeting.

That is all our states. Wish you a good journey, and Meet in Ussuri !