Mount Hermon is the highest mountain in Israel, and it is also a unique site for its biodiversity, habitats, flora and unique animals.
Butterflies are a great example of this. While in Israel as a whole about 160 species of butterflies can be seen, about 30 of them can only be seen in the higher parts of the mountain. Many species characteristic of the High Hermon reach the limit of their southern distribution in the world at this point.
In the lower parts of the mountain, where Mediterranean woodland develops, you can see the buckthorn lemongrass and the honeysuckle noble. When you reach the frontier-mountain forest belt, which reaches an altitude of about 1,800 meters in the mountain, you can see the ivy-winged azure and the impressive Pandora nymph. In this area you can also observe a green butterfly called the Hercules green, which flies and lays eggs on scalloping plants of the butterfly family (legumes). Those who climb to the summit can also observe species flying inside the dolinas, such as the Hermon Garden, the Nicole flute and orange spotted species with different striped patterns, in black on their wings.
Will he leave the territories of Israel? Hermoni garden butterfly, photo: Dotan Rotem - Israel Nature and Parks Authority
The peak of flowering on Mount Hermon occurs during these months, and the butterflies respond accordingly. They can be seen flying among the flowers from which they drink nectar, laying eggs on host plants and even near puddles of water, where they gather minerals from the mud. In the higher parts of the mountain, butterflies will fly close to the ground, due to the strong wind blowing there. In areas with trees, they can also be seen flying higher.
With climate change taking place around us, and mainly due to regional warming, it is expected that the movement of butterfly species that once inhabited lower areas of the mountain will rise higher in the near future, where climatic conditions will prevail more suitable for their existence. However, it is quite possible that in such a case, the butterflies at the summit of Mount Hermon will disappear and continue to exist in higher altitudes that are not within the borders of the State of Israel.
In order to preserve the unique diversity of animals and to enable the existence of the breeding season and nesting activity of species of birds, reptiles and mammals without interference, the IDF agreed to the request of the Nature and Parks Authority not to carry out training, exercises and any ground activity within the Hermon Reserve from May 15 to June 15. These dates were chosen after examining the breeding season of the known species found on Mount Hermon, with an emphasis on its unique, rare and ground-incubating species.
A butterfly living in the Hermon region // Photo: Salman Abu Rukun - Israel Nature and Parks Authority
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