Contribution to the knowledge of the butterfly fauna of Albania

By

Šašić, Martina
Popovic, Milos
Cuvelier, Sylvain
Đurić, Milan
Franeta, Filip
Gascoigne-Pees, Martin
Koren, Toni
Maes, Dirk
Micevski, Branko
Micevski, Nikola
Mølgaard, Morten S
Swaay, Chris van
Wynhoff, Irma
Verovnik, Rudi, 1970-

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2015

Original Publication

Nota lepidopterologica

Volume

38

Series / Issue

Issue: 1

Pages

29--45

Subjects

Conservation , Distribution , diversity , Fauna , Rhopalocera , traditional agriculture

Contributed by

BioStor

Language

English

Published by

Bonn,

Identifiers

BioStor: https://biostor.org/reference/166505
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/nl.38.8814

 

Abstract

Albanian insect fauna is one of the least studied in Europe. In 2012 and 2013 surveys were undertaken with the aim of improving the knowledge of the distribution of butterflies, particularly in the southern part of the country. This research has resulted in the publication of three new species records for Albania. Here we add two new species to the list of native butterflies of Albania, Melitaea ornata Christoph, 1893 and Cupido alcetas (Hoffmannsegg, 1804). We recorded a total of 143 species including several confirmations of historical published records. The total number of species has consequently increased to 198, which is comparable with butterfly diversity in neighbouring countries. Unlike its neighbours, Albania has preserved many of its traditional agricultural practices and consequently its rich fauna has been well protected during the last decades. However, with the opening up of the country to outside influences this will undoubtedly change as the process of intensification has already started in more populated coastal areas. It is therefore imperative to identify important butterfly areas in need of conservation and to take decisive measures to preserve traditional agricultural practices.