UZIZAŽ Vol. 5 Broj stranica: 7-13 Sarajevo 2009 BIOSPELD FREYER’S PURPLE EMPEROR, Apatura metis Freyer, 1829 (Papilionoidea: Nymphalidae, Apaturinae), A NEW SPECIES IN THE BUTTERFLY FAUNA OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Suvad Lelo Departmant of Biology, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Sarajevo Zmaja od Bosne 33-35, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina ABSTRACT Lelo, S. Freyer’s purple emperor, Apatura metis Freyer, 1829 (Papilionoidea: Nymphalidae, Apaturinae), a new species in the butterfly fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this paper the first data on finding of Freyer’s purple emperor (Apatura metis Freyer, 1829) in Bosnia and Herzegovina are presented. The author has collected two male specimens at the location Bajinci near Bardača (Northern Bosnia and Herzegovina) several hundred meters from the confluence of rivers Vrbas and Sava. Apatura metis Freyer is the 189th undisputed species in the checklist of butterflies of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Key words: butterflies, biodiversity, Nymphalidae, Nymphalinae, Apatura, iris, ilia, metis, Bosnia and Herzegovina INTRODUCTION The onset of biosystematic research into butterflies in Bosnia and Herzegovina dates from the first half of the 19th century. This statement is supported by the fact that the species Plebejus dardanus Freyer was described as early as 1844 on the basis of specimens from Cvrsnica Mt. (Herzegovina). The very first list containing 125 species of butterflies from Bosnia and Herzegovina was published in 1892 (Apfelbeck, 1892). The revisions of the published list followed in 1904 with 160 listed species (Rebel, 1904), in 1980 with 186 listed species (Sijarić, 1980) and in 2000 with 186 listed species, in 2007 with 188 listed species and, finally, in 2008 with 190 species (Lelo, 2000; 2004; 2005-2007; 2008). The most recent data state that 188 species of butterflies undoubtedly inhabit Bosnia and Herzegovina with two species with controversial position: Pyrgus trebeviciensis (Warren, 1926) and Maculinea alcon (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) (Lelo, 2007). However, the authors who have investigated Balkan Peninsula or Europe make no mention of the presence of the species Freyer’s purple emperor, Apatura metis Freyer, 1829 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sijarić, 1980; 1991; 1998; Forster & Wohlfart, 1955; Higgins & Riley, 1978; 1980; 1993; Karsholt & Razowski, 1996; Tolman & Lewington, 1997; Kudrna, 2002, etc.). The only record is made by P. Jakšić who clamed the observation of this species in Herzegovina, near Neretva river (but this is absolutely impossible). No cited lists of butterflies („Rhopalocera“) from Bosnia and Herzegovina include data on the species Apatura metis Freyer. General distribution of this species includes regions in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, European part of Turkey, south-western Russia, Kazakhstan, western Siberia, the areas around the river Amur, north-eastern China, Korea and Japan. This species was recorded in Europe in the valleys of large rivers: Austria (by the river Danube), Hungary (by the rivers Danube and Drava), Romania (by the river Danube; Kudrna, 2002), Slovenia (by the river Sava), Croatia (by the river Danube; Kudrna, 2002), northern Serbia (by the rivers Danube and Sava; Jakšić, 2003), Bulgaria and northern Greece (near numerous rivers), as well as in the European parts of Turkey (by the rivers Evros, Balli and Inecik) (Tolman & Lewington, 1997). Apatura metis Freyer description was made on the basis of specimens collected at site Pecs – Hungary. Nominotype, dark individuals that were base for the description of this species are rare. Usually, mature butterflies are quite similar to the individuals known as f. Udruženje za inventarizaciju i zaštitu životinja, Omladinska 2, Ilijaš, Kanton Sarajevo Biospeleološko društvo u Bosni i Hercegovini, Avde Jabučice 30, Sarajevo Lelo, S. (2009). Freyer's purple emperor, Apatura metis Freyer, 1829 (Papilionoidea: Nymphalidae, Apaturinae), a new species in the butterfly fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Prilozi fauni Bosne i Hercegovine, 5, 7-13. clytie of the species A. ilia (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775). The length of the right wing in male individuals is up to 32 mm (the butterflies are generally smaller than similar species: A. iris L. and A. ilia D.&S.). Orange, submarginal lines are wider in the areas s5, s6, s7, and postdiscal dark spot in area s2 is small. A round, dark postdiscal spot (almost always well pronounced in the similar species A. ilia D.&S.) is present as a dark band which closes the orange spot in the area s2 that is often small. There is also a small black spot and another smaller orange spot in the area s3 (HIGGINS & RILEY, 1993). Catterpillars develop on willow trees Salix alba, and they can also be found on the upper parts of leaves (Tolman & Lewington, 2007). Variation in the populations of the species Apatura metis Freyer is very pronounced so seven subspecies are known: (1) A. m. metis Freyer, 1829: in South-Eastern Europe, (2) A. m. bunea Herrich-Schaffer, 1845 (=A. m. gertraudis Stichel, 1909; =A. m. oberthueri Le Moult, 1947): found in some parts of Southern Europe and Caucasus, (3) A. m. irtyshika Korshunov, 1982: found in the south-western parts of Siberia and Khazakstan, (4) A. m. separata Tuzov, 2000: inhabits Transbaikal region, (5) A. m. heyona Matsumura, 1928 (=A. m. gracilis Bang-Haas, 1936; =A. m. asiatica Le Moult, 1947; =A. m. mirei Le Moult, 1947): found in Korea, Amur and Ushuria, (6) A. m. substituta Butler, 1873 (=A. m. gifuensis Matsumura, 1919; =A. m. takanonis Matsumura, 1919; =yanagawensis Matsumura, 1928, =A. m. japonica Le Moult, 1947): found in the islands of Japan and (7) A. m. doii Matsumura, 1928: inhabits Kuril islands (Tuzov, 2000). MATERIAL AND METHODS This research has been carried out from 9 to 11 August 2008 within the framework of international project Sava III (in organization of NGO ALTERRA from the Netherlands and Centre for Ecology of the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Sarajevo). The aim was to test the hypothesis by the author on the possible presence of Apatura metis Freyer, 1829 (Frejer's purple emperor) at the right bank of river Sava in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For this purpose, the site by river Vrbas (a few hundred meters above the confluence of rivers Vrbas into river Sava; Fig. 1-2) in the area of the village Bajinci (close to the fish farm, and Ramsar area, Bardača: 45°04`47.83``N i 17°27`57.29``N; Fig. 3-4) was thoroughly examined. Fig. 1-2: Habitat of the species Apatura metis Freyer, 1829 by the river Vrbas (the right and the left banks of the river – photo: S. Lelo) Material, two males of the species Apatura metis Freyer (Fig. 5), was collected on 10 August 2008, using lepidopterological net (with telescopic handle and folding ring with the diameter of, Φ, 60 cm). The specimens were stored in lepidopterological envelopes and transported in a plastic field box to the field laboratory of the author (the administrative centre of the Association for animals inventarisation and conservation, Ilijas, Sarajevo Canton) where dry preparations were made using standard lepidopterological method (on the wooden frame) on 12 August 2008 (Lelo, 2008). 8 Originalni naučni rad/Original scientific paper Lelo, S. (2009). Freyer’s purple emperor, Apatura metis Freyer, 1829 (Papilionoidea: Nymphalidae, Apaturinae), a new species in the butterfly fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Prilozi fauni Bosne i Hercegovine, 5, 7-13. Fig. 3-4: Satellite images of the site where the population of the species Apatura metis Freyer, 1829 was recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Source: „Google Earth“) The photographs were made using several technical accessories: habitat was photographed using digital cameras Medion (6,36 mps) and Canon, and prepared butterflies were photographed using digital camera Canon (8,0 mps, macro objective). Fig. 5: Apatura metis Freyer, 1829, male specimens, Bajinci – nearby Vrbas river (10.08.2008, leg. et det. S. Lelo, photo: S. Lelo) The butterflies were analysed using binocular microscope „Novex AP-2“ (20x), and determination was carried out according to the data by Higgins & Riley, 1993 and Tuzov, 2000. RESULTS AND DISCUSION The area near the crossroads Bardača – Bajinci (Fig. 6) was investigated on 10 August 2008, in the period 10 a.m to 1 p.m. The observations were made along 4.1 km of road towards Bajinci, and following the dirt road on the right side (Fig. 7 and 8), which connects the crossroads with the river Vrbas (Fig. 9) Very active individuals from the genus Apatura Fabricius, 1807, were observed from the beginning of the forest vegetation, and therefore their gathering was almost impossible to overlook (in the given period more than 20 individuals were noted). However, the author managed to collect two individuals. The first one was captured during flight at the edge of Originalni naučni rad/Original scientific paper 9 Lelo, S. (2009). Freyer's purple emperor, Apatura metis Freyer, 1829 (Papilionoidea: Nymphalidae, Apaturinae), a new species in the butterfly fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Prilozi fauni Bosne i Hercegovine, 5, 7-13. vegetation by river Vrbas (Fig. 10), while the other one was collected while it rested on the macadam road by the water ponds (Fig. 11). Fig. 6-9: Landmarks useful for identification of the site where Apatura metis Freyer, 1829 was found in Bosnia and Herzegovina (photo: S. Lelo) Fig. 10-11: Exact locations near river Vrbas where male specimens of Apatura metis Freyer, 1829 were captured (photo: S. Lelo) Both individuals were identified as Apatura metis Freyer, 1829 (Fig. 12-13). The specimens were easily identified, although they resemble f. clytie of the species A. ilia (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775). Namely, the collected individuals are distinguished by typical features of the species: on the upper part of the front wings orange postdiscal band ends in apex; on the upper part of the hind wings the dark postdiscal spot is not visible in the 10 Originalni naučni rad/Original scientific paper Lelo, S.