Ecologica Montenegrina 42: 1-44 (2021) This journal is available online at: www.biotaxa.org/em http://dx.doi.org/10.37828/em.2021.42.1 Contribution to knowledge of the Balkan Lepidoptera II (Lepidoptera: Macrolepidoptera) STOYAN BESHKOV1 & ANA NAHIRNIĆ-BESHKOVA2 1, 2: National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd.1, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mails: corresponding author: [email protected], [email protected] Received 4 Aprl 2021 │ Accepted by V. Pešić: 26 April 2021 │ Published online 6 May 2021. Abstract Perizoma obsoletata (Herrich-Schäffer, 1838) is shown to be a part of the Balkan fauna. Pabulatrix pabulatricula (Brahm, 1791) is new for the Western Balkans. One genus and 12 species are new and 20 species are reported for the second time for Albania. For Montenegro, one genus and eight species are new and two species are recorded for the first time. One genus and four species are new for the Republic of North Macedonia and another five species are reported for the second time from that country. One genus and three species are new for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Four species are reported for the second time and two for the third time for Serbia. Localities for Charissa pfeifferi (Wehrli, 1926) in Bulgaria are recorded for the first time. Data for some other interesting species from these countries and Greece are also presented. Most specimens were collected at light in 2019. Illustrations of specimens and their genitalia are given when necessary. Everted vesicas of some Geometridae species are illustrated for the first time. Key words: butterflies, moths, Europe, Balkan countries, faunistic. Introduction The Balkan countries are explored unequally in terms of Macrolepidoptera, especially for nocturnal species. It is difficult to find new taxa for countries such as Bulgaria and Greece, while Albania still remains perhaps the most poorly investigated one. This is demonstrated here in that such a widespread and common species as Orthosia cruda ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) is reported as a new for Albania, and some other common species recorded here have been reported only from a single locality in that country. In Montenegro there is very incomplete information on occurrence of autumn and early spring species. We show this by reporting here several common autumn species, which we were surprised to find, had not been previously found in Montenegro. While Durmitor National park, Sea coast and other tourist areas are relatively well explored, there is a lack of data for the other parts of that country. The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is similar. The nocturnal Lepidoptera fauna of the Republic of North Macedonia is better explored, but mainly by foreigners and the majority of the data are from only a few localities, while for large areas of the country there is a lack of data. Finding a new species for that country is likely possible among difficult groups and large genera, where examination of genitalia is necessary. Recording new localities of species reported before from a single locality is, however, easy. Almost the same situation pertains in Serbia, where Ecologica Montenegrina, 42, 2021, 1-44 BALKAN LEPIDOPTERA II in the last six years both of the present authors have published separately or together more than 60 Macrolepidoptera species new for this country. Material and Methods Collecting involved two portable light traps with an 8 watt actinic (368 nm) and 8 watt “Blacklight”, both powered by 12 volt 9Ah batteries, as well as a Finnish “tent trap” with a 160 watt MV bulb at the top of the pole and a 20 watt (368 nm) black light over the catching pot below. An additional 20 watt (368nm) lamp was also positioned about 70 from the tent trap. The distance between the Finnish “tent trap” and the light traps, as well as between the light traps themselves was sometime more than 1 km, as they were deployed in different positions and habitats wherever possible. All traps ran throughout the night. All of the reported material was collected by S. Beshkov & A. Nahirnić, so the names of the collectors are not mentioned for each species. Genitalia were fixed on glass slides in Euparal mountant after staining with a 2% Merbromin solution. All genitalia slides were photographed by S. Beshkov with a trinocular Zeiss stereo microscope Stemi 2000-C with axioCameRc 5s camera; solitary everted vesicas were photographed in alcohol before mounting on glass. Genitalia slides prepared in 2021 were photographed by using self-modified transmitted light. Insects and collecting localities were photographed with a Sony DSChX400v digital camera. Scale bar is 1 cm. All trips were self-financed by the authors and undertaken in their own time. Lepidoptera families are arranged according to Aarvik et al. (2017). Sequence and nomenclature of families Erebidae and Noctuidae follow Fibiger et al. (2011) with subsequent changes incorporated from recent taxonomic revisions. The Geometridae are arranged according to Hausmann & Sihvonen (2019). When the specimen’s number is indicated, this means that they are in the collection of Stoyan Beshkov in the National Museum of Natural History, Sofia (NMNHS). For the majority of the reported species the list of the known localities is given, although some of the old reports for some problematic genera are not reliable enough for inclusion. Faunistic records for some representatives of the genera Chasissa Curtis, 1825 and Perizoma Hübner, 1825 before the last treatment of Müller et al. (2019) are not taken into account here. Systematics Limacodidae Hoyosia cretica (Rebel, 1906) Greece, Amphissa district, NW of Eleonas Village, 691m, N38.559384°, E022.387685°, 15.V.2016, Quercus coccifera, Cupressus, Juniperus on limestone area, 2 males at lamps and light traps (Fig. 1). In this area H. cretica is known from the surroundings of Arachova and Delfi (Dufay, 1982). The nearest localities are in Thesalia, Peloponnesus, Thrace and the European part of Turkey (Dardanelles) (de Freina & Witt, 1990). Nymphalidae Erebia gorge albanica Rebel, 1917 Albania, Mt. Tomor, Tomor peak (Abaz Aliu peak), 2379m, N40.6361°, E20.1615°, eroded spots in high mountain dry grassy slopes, 15.VII.2018 (Fig. 2: a-f). The collecting locality is illustrated in Beshkov & Nahirnić (2019b). Erebia gorge albanica Rebel is very remarkable and confusion with other taxa is hardly believable. Specimens from Tomor have very small, in some specimens even indistinct, ocelli. Wings in the males are very dark with almost indistinct pattern on both underside and upperside. For comparison we illustrate two of the syntypes (Fig. 2: g-l) from North Albanian Alps (T.L: Gropa e Shtrelit [Maja Stogut, Qafa e Strogut, north of Theth]) (Fig. 2: g-i) (Rebel, 1917a) and AL, Kakinja [Maja e Kakisё], 2310m, 14.VII.1916 (Fig. 2: j-l) (source © Lepidoptera Image Collection, Natural History Museum Vienna, H. Bruckner). We have not seen females from Tomor, therefore will not comment on differences between the populations. According to Warren (1936): “There can never be any difficulty in distinguishing albanica from any other gorge race; indeed, the difficulty is to believe that it belongs to the same species. The specimens illustrated were lent to me by the captor, who stated that Rebel himself had identified them as albanica, but that he found it hard to believe they were a race of gorge. The genitalia leave 2 BESHKOV & NAHIRNIĆ-BESHKOVA no room for doubt, however…”. We also examined the genitalia (Gen. prep. 1./26.IV.2019, S. Beshkov) of a single male specimen (Fig. 3). The specimens discussed and illustrated by Warren (1936) were from an isolated mountain, Mali i Tomorrit in S. Albania and might show different external characters to E. gorge albanica (Curvier et al., 2018). From Tomori E. gorge albanica is reported also by Rebel & Zerny (1931), Micevski et al. (2015), Šašić et al. (2015) and Curvier at al. (2018), but it has been illustrated only in monochrome in Warren (1936). Here Erebia gorge albanica is illustrated for the first time in colour. According to Curvier et al. (2018) “collected males and females in five different localities and a direct comparison of the collected specimens from these localities with specimens collected on the summit of Mali i Tomorrit shows important variability within a single locality in the size of the ocelli and the width of the orange band, but there is no obvious difference between populations from the N. Albanian Alps and Mali i Tomorrit in S. Albania”. We would like to mentioned that not only the size of the ocelli but also the completely rounded shape of the hind wings are differentiating characters against neighbouring populations in the Dinaric mountains, e.g. Durmitor, Prenj, but also against E. gorge pirinica Buresch, 1918 from Pirin and Rila (in latter populations with frequency of f. triopes. Figure 1. Hoyosia cretica, male. GR, Eleonas 15.V.2016. Erebia medusa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Albania, Mt. Tomor, Tomor peak (Abaz Aliu peak), 2379m, N40.6361°, E20.1615°, 15.VII.2018. The illustrated male specimen (Fig. 4: a-b) has a reduced number and small ocelli, and the orange band of the hindwings is restricted to very elongate spots in the cells. Erebia oeme (Hübner, [1804]) W Serbia, Javor Mts, below Vasilin Vrh near Lepojevići Village, 1489m, N43.44140°0, E020.051601°, 02.VII.2019, meadows on limestone area with Juniperus communis near Fagus forest. Genitalia checked. Coenonympha orientalis Rebel, 1910 Albania, Korçё County, above Drenovё Village, 1050m, N40.588342°, E020.806429°, 18.5.2017, river valley with Salix on serpentine slopes with Artemisia alba, Acantholimon, etc., 1 male (Fig. 4: c-d). Ecologica Montenegrina, 42, 2021, 1-44 3 BALKAN LEPIDOPTERA II Figure 2. Erebia gorge albanica from Albania. a. male, upperside. Mt. Tomor, 2379m, 15.VII.2018; b.