07.07.2026 10:00
At Nemrut Crater Lake in Bitlis, hundreds of hawthorn butterflies (Aporia crataegi) came together simultaneously, creating a visual feast that received great admiration.
Hawthorn butterflies (Aporia crataegi), observed in large numbers in the Nemrut Crater Lake region within the district boundaries of Ahlat, Tatvan, and Güroymak in Bitlis, offered a visual feast for nature enthusiasts. The sight of these butterflies, notable for their distinct black-veined, semi-transparent white wings, appearing en masse was recorded as a rare natural phenomenon in the area.
A SCENE RECALLING A "BUTTERFLY FIELD"
The images, captured by Oktay Subaşı, a lecturer and nature photographer at Bitlis Eren University, revealed a landscape reminiscent of a "butterfly field."
"NOT SEEN THIS DENSE IN THE LAST 20 YEARS"
Subaşı, who has been observing butterflies in the Nemrut Caldera for about 20 years, stated that he encountered such a dense population of hawthorn butterflies for the first time. Subaşı noted that these butterflies particularly gather in masses on the soil during the hot hours of the day to meet their mineral needs, adding that the resulting images hold great significance both scientifically and visually. "Nemrut Crater Lake is an area I have been observing for about 20 years. There is an opportunity to see many butterflies of different species. However, in today's observations, we saw a number of hawthorn butterflies that we had never seen before. We captured very beautiful videos and photos," he said.