S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 28/2. (Budapest, 1975)

On the 23rd of April I travelled to Mazar-e Sharif in a bus. There I was able to collect only in the regency park. Far more interesting are my experienoes gained en route. While traversing the superb Salang Pass, on the northern side we saw some very promising alpine meadows and steep juniper groves (Juniperus macropoda). From this place on right down to Tashkurgan almost every locality seems interesting from entomological viewpoint; unfortunately, I had no opportunity to collect in any of these places. Again I travelled in bus to Herat and Kandahar. The south facing sides of Paropamisus Mts. toward Herat are bare with scattered tussocks of grass and other vegetation (many spiny compositae), but here too goats graze about. At this place I mainly collected Hymenoptera. On the bank of River Hari Rud, at two places, at some distance from each other, I had opportunity to collect. On the sandy banks the dominant plants were tamarisk and sallow thorn, in willow grove skirting the river and in the Herat parks I collected a large number of fly material but of low species composition. Besides I had access to some gardens and orchards in the town of Herat where numerous insects were collected. The riparian vegetation of River Hari Rud and that of River Arghandab near Kandahar is very much alike, but the collected material of the latter is more numerous, mainly flies. Near Kandahar in some semi-desert areas we also tried to make collectings. But the dry and very warm weather by the end of May compels the majority of insect life into diapause. Thus a combined sweeping with dislocation of grass tussocks may result in one hour only c. 30 insect specimens. Out of my 89 days spent in Afghanistan in 50 I was able to collect. A longer illness at the end of my stay there much hindered my performing collecting activity. During my travels I covered some 6500 km in Afghanistan (cf. sketch of map). Most of it was made in buses, accordingly I collected in a few localities, and there too in frequented places, known before. Quite a number of insect groups have their flying period in other seasons or at other times than when I visited the particular locality. I sincerely hope that my experiences gained there may help future Hungarian collectors to find the appropriate places for collecting insects and other animals. Through the kindness of Dr. JELANI BAKHTARI, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, I had the opportunity in a car of the ministry to visit state farms lying outside of Kabul. On 4 occasions I visited 2 cattle farms(Kareze Mir; Bini Hesar: twice) and one sheep farm (Tshemtala) where I collected dung samples in order to study the development of flies therein. The ultimate aim was to give advice how to work out protective measures which are cheap and efficient. These trips were realized through the selfless and precise organizing activity of some ministry officials. Hereby I feel it my pleasant duty to thank Dr. J. BAKHTARI, minister, andDr. G. ABU BAKR (President of Veterinary and Animal Science of the Ministry of Agriculture) who made it possible for me to carry out my research work. While staying in Kabul I visited the Zoo and the Zoological Museum, in the latter besides some systematic work I refilled the collection preserved in liquid and renewed the poisons in the insect collection.