Ecologica Montenegrina 30: 93-112 (2020) This journal is available online at: www.biotaxa.org/em http://dx.doi.org/10.37828/em.2020.30.9 Contribution to the Knowledge of the Balkan Lepidoptera: Nocturnal Lepidoptera of Western Serbia (Lepidoptera) STOYAN BESHKOV 1* and ANA NAHIRNIĆ 2 1, 2National Museum of Natural History, Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd.1, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria E-mails: [email protected] 1; [email protected] 2 *Corresponding author Received 3 March 2020 │ Accepted by V. Pešić: 13 April 2020 │ Published online 19 April 2020. Abstract Here are presented all data of the authors from five nights collecting in western Serbia at four localities. 401 species collected at light from 13 families are reported. Six species: Catoptria pauperellus (Treitschke, 1832), Macaria wauaria (Linnaeus, 1758), Charissa ambiguata (Duponchel, 1830), Charissa graecaria (Staudinger, 1871), Colostygia aptata (Hübner, 1813) and Eupithecia pimpinellata (Hübner, 1813) are new for Serbia. Seven other species are reported for a second time for the country. With illustrations of moths and their genitalia. Key words: Macrolepidoptera, Crambidae, Psychidae, faunistic, Dinaric Alps. Introduction All regions of Serbia deserve more comprehensive investigation of moth fauna. In almost every recently published faunistic paper on moths of Serbia new country records are reported. Western Serbia is situated in central part of the Balkan Peninsula and it is characterized by Dinaric Alps and numerous river gorges and canyons, while in its northernmost part there is Peripanonnian lowland. There are many mountains in western Serbia, however only two summits are more than 1800 m high, both on Mt. Golija. Much higher mountains of more than 2000 m height in surrounding areas of Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro received more lepidopterist’s attention. How moth fauna can be interesting in western Serbia shows a fact that just a few occasional visits can bring interesting results including new country records. Several species recently reported as new for Serbia were found in western Serbia (Beshkov 2017a,b; Stojanović et al. 2014; Stojanović et al. 2018). For five nights collecting there we found 13 new species for Serbia, 11 of which are Macrolepidoptera, published here and in other articles (Beshkov 2017a, b; Beshkov 2020). The number of the new Geometridae is greatest: 10 from 11. Most of them are from difficult genera with numbers of small in size representatives as Eupithecia which are not satisfactorily investigated. The reason for this is very limited number of local researchers on this family, and that for sure identification of many species it is necessary to examine male and female genitalia and sometime elaboration of precise microscopic genitalia slide. On the other hand good results can be achieved only by using modern collecting methods as autonomic source of electricity for the lamps in suitable habitats and ran the traps throughout the night. Ecologica Montenegrina, 30, 2020, 93-112 NOCTURNAL LEPIDOPTERA OF WESTERN SERBIA Material and methods Collecting methodology involved 2 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 meters from the tent trap. Distance between Finnish “tent trap” and light traps, as well as between lignt traps is sometime more than 1 km as they are deposed in different exposition and habitats if possible. All traps ran throughout the night. In Savina Voda and Vasilin Vrh in July only light traps were used because of the rain. Collecting localities in chronological order are: Savina Voda (Fig. 1): Prijepolje Region, Jabuka Pass highland, Zvijezda, Savina Voda, 1117m, N43°22'02", E019°33'07", 16.VII.2014, grasslands on limestone rocky area with Juniperus communis, etc., S. Beshkov leg., at ligh traps. Karaula (Fig. 2): Ćetanica Mt., near Karaula Village, 1369m, N43°19'10", E019°49'54”, 04.VIII.2015, limestone area, grasslands with Juniperus communis and Picea abies forest around, S. Beshkov & Ana Nahirnić leg. at lamps and light traps. Vasilin Vrh, August (Fig. 3): Javor Mts, below Vasilin Vrh near Lepojevići Village, 1489m, N43°26'28", E020°03'06”, 12.VIII.2015, limestone area with Juniperus communis near Fagus forest, S. Beshkov & Ana Nahirnić leg. leg. at lamps and light traps. Vasilin Vrh, July (Fig. 4): as above, 02.VII.2019, light traps. Mali Jadovnik (Fig. 5): Jadovnik Mt., Mali Jadovnik, 1505m, N43°18'00", E019°46'40”, 03.VII.2019, limestine area with Juniperus communis near coniferous forest, S. Beshkov & A. Nahirnić leg. at lamps and light traps. Figure 1. Collecting locality “Savina Voda”. 94 BESHKOV & NAHIRNIĆ Figure 2. Collecting locality “Karaula”. Figure 3. Collecting locality “Vasilin Vrh, August”, light trap place. Red dot indicated “Finish tent” trap. Ecologica Montenegrina, 30, 2020, 93-112 95 NOCTURNAL LEPIDOPTERA OF WESTERN SERBIA Figure 4. Collecting locality “Vasilin Vrh, July”. Figure 5. Collecting locality “Mali Jadovnik”. 96 BESHKOV & NAHIRNIĆ All genitalia slides were photographed by S. Beshkov with a Zeiss stereo microscope Stemi 2000-C with axioCam eRc 5s digital camera. Genitalia slides are fixed on glass in Euparal, solitary everted vesicas were photographed in alcohol before mounting on glass. All genitalia were stained with Merbromin solution 2%. Moths and collecting localities are photographed with Sony DSChX400v digital camera. All trips were self- financed by the authors and undertaken in their own time. Families are arranged according to Aarvik et al. (2017). Sequence and nomenclature of families Erebidae and Noctuidae follow Yela et al. (2011) with incorporated subsequent changes 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 coll. S. Beshkov in the National Museum of Natural History, Sofia. Results Inventory of the species: Hepialidae Triodia sylvina (Linnaeus, 1761) Karaula; Vasilin Vrh, August, 2 females. Psychidae Bijugis bombycella ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Savina Voda, 2 males. Second record for Serbia. First one is from Fruška Gora (Stojanović 2012). Cossidae Cossus cossus (Linnaeus, 1758) Karaula; Mali Jadovnik. Crambidae Catoptria pauperellus (Treitschke, 1832) Mali Jadovnik, 1 male (Fig. 6a). New species for Serbia. Although, included for Serbia in Plant & Jakšić (2018), references cited therein do not concern Serbia in fact. Rebel (1917) mentioned this species to be collected by Penther on Mt. Žljeb from 1700 to 1850 m. The camp where Penther has been staying was at 1700 m, at the pass on the road from Rožaje to Peć (=Peja). We suppose that he collected around his camping place as that it is hilly area with elevations of 1850 m in close vicinity and give possible approximate coordinates of his camp as N42°46'49", E020°14'10”. Moreover, as road goes to Peć elevation is lower than 1700 m. Plant & Jakšić (2018) quotes Slamka (2008), but he mentioned only ex- Yugoslavia. Catoptria pauperellus is very rare species in the Balkans. The nearest localities include Žljeb in Montenegro (Rebel, 1917) and mountain areas from 1200 to 1750 m in central B&H (Mt. Trebević, Mt. Bjelašnica, Mt. Treskavica, Kalinovik, Makljen pass) (Rebel, 1904). Plant & Jakšić (2018) cited Rebel (1904) for the Montenegro but there is no such information in mentioned paper and all mountains are situated in B&H. Drepanidae Thyatira batis (Linnaeus, 1758) Karaula. Habrosyne pyritoides (Hufnagel, 1766) Karaula; Vasilin Vrh, August. Tethea or ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Savina Voda; Mali Jadovnik. Ochropacha duplaris (Linnaeus, 1761) Vasilin Vrh, August, 2 females; Mali Jadovnik, 1 male. In Serbia known only from there [Vasilin Vrh, August] (Beshkov, 2017a) and from Klisura Đetine (Dodok 2007). Falcaria lacertinaria (Linnaeus, 1758) Vasilin Vrh, August, 1 male. In Serbia known only from there (Beshkov 2017a) and from Mt. Jelova Gora (Dodok 2007). Watsonalla cultraria (Fabricius, 1775) Vasilin Vrh, August. Cilix glaucata (Scopili, 1763) Karaula. Geometridae Geometrinae Aplasta ononaria (Fuessly, 1783) Vasilin Vrh, July. Ecologica Montenegrina, 30, 2020, 93-112 97 NOCTURNAL LEPIDOPTERA OF WESTERN SERBIA Hemistola chrysoprasaria (Esper, 1795) Karaula. Pseudoterpna pruinata (Hufnagel, 1767) Savina Voda; Mali Jadovnik. Geometra papilionaria Linnaeus, 1758 Savina Voda. Chlorissa cloraria (Hübner, 1813) Vasilin Vrh, July, 1 male, genitalia checked. Ennominae Ligdia adustata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) Vasilin Vrh, August. Odontognophos dumetata (Treitschke, 1827) Vasilin Vrh, August, 1 male. In Serbia known only from there (Beshkov 2017a) and from Užice region (Dodok 2006). The report of Zečević & Radovanović (1974) and Zečević (2002) are omitted because of possible missidentification. Flight period for this autumn species is given for June and July and it is also reported as a numerous species. Moreover, Neognopharmia stevenaria (Boisduval, 1840), which can be confused with O. dumetata, was not reported in Zečević & Radovanović (1974). In Hric & Husarik (2014-2020) illustration of O. dumetata is N. stevenaria indeed. We suspect the same mistake in the reports of Zečević & Radovanović (1974) and Zečević (2002). Lomaspilis marginata (Linnaeus, 1758) Mali Jadovnik Heliomata glarearia ([Denis & Schiffermüller],