Common Carder Bumblebee - Macedonia

Macedonia and Greece were engaged in a dispute regarding the use of the name “Macedonia.” Greece objected because it has a region with the same name and because Greece was the site of the former Kingdom of Macedonia. The dispute was settled in 2019; Macedonia now refers to itself as North Macedonia.

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Bombus pascuorum - Common carder bumblebee nests are found on or slightly below ground. Honey bee colonies can number in the thousands, but a typical bumblebee colony rarely exceed 200 individuals. Only the younger queens survive through the winter to build new nests during the spring. The queen brings no workers with her. She must build the nest and tend to the first batch of eggs herself. New queens and drones will be produced only when the colony reaches a comfortable level. Males are developed from unfertilized eggs..

Death Cap - Macedonia

Amanita phalloides - The death cap, a mushroom originating in Europe, is commonly found growing under oaks and conifers during the early fall season. Ninety percent of fatal mushroom poisoning are caused by the ingesting of mushrooms from the amanitae family. The organic toxins of the death cap attack the kidneys, liver, the central nervous system, and the muscles. The death cap has a pale greenish color, the gills, the underside of the cap, and the stalk, also known as the stipe, are white.

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The Romans defeated Andriscus of Macedon, the last king of the Macedonian Empire, in 148 BC, and incorporated their newly won territory into the fold as the province of Macedonia. In the 4th century, the province was divided into northern and southern sections; Macedonia Salutaris and Macedonia Prima respectively. Most of present-day Macedonia was included in the northern section. In 395, the Roman Empire divided into east and west; Macedonia passed to the Byzantine Empire, the eastern section.