ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins Apollo Jahr/Year: 2010 Band/Volume: 31 Autor(en)/Author(s): Popovic Milos, Duric Milan Artikel/Article: New findings of two rare nymphalids in Serbia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) 169-172 Nachr. entomol. Ver. Apollo, N. F. 31 (3): 169–172 (2010) 169 New findings of two rare nymphalids in Serbia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Miloš Popović and Milan Đurić Miloš Popović, Zvezdanska 24, 19000 Zaječar, Serbia; [email protected] Milan Đurić, Bulevar Oslobođenja 106/34, 11000 Beograd, Serbia; [email protected] Abstract: During the past few years Melitaea arduinna and Melitaea arduinna (Esper, 1783) (Fig. 2) has a some­ Nymphalis vaualbum were recorded on several occasions what more limited distribution covering southern Russia in Serbia. These findings are important as both species and central Asia, but not reaching the Far East. Its dis­ reach western limit of their range in Serbia. M. arduinna was only recently added to the fauna of Serbia, while most tribution in Europe is limited to the Balkan Pen in su la, of data for N. vaualbum are very old, suggesting its poss­ with rare and scattered colonies in its southern part ible extinction in Serbia. In this paper the recently publi­ (La franchis 2004, Tolman & Lewington 2008). The spe­ shed records for both species are summarized and 16 new cies was not included in the Red Data Book of Ser bi an re cords are added. Records are presented in distribution Butterflies (Jakšić 2003) as it was first discovered only maps and the potential distribution is discussed. While M. in 2007 (Jakšić & Grozdanović 2007). European colonies ar duinna was most probably overlooked and the new re cords are not well researched, so it is difficult to esti mate are a consequence of more intensive research, in case of N. vaualbum the new records are likely a result of recent population trends. immigration and subsequent population increase. Key words: faunistics, distribution, Nymphalis vaualbum, Material and methods Melitaea arduinna, butterflies. Butterfly observations were made during systematic sur veys of the southeastern part of Serbia during the Aktuelle Nachweise zweier seltener Nymphaliden in last years. Two mountain ranges — Suva Planina (loca li­ Serbien (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) ties Jelašnica gorge, Gornja Studena, Bojanine vode and Zusammenfassung: In den letzten Jahren konnten Me li taea Devojački grob) and Stara Planina (localities Tem s ka, arduinna und Nymphalis vaualbum mehrfach aus Serbi en Topli Dol, Babin zub, Arbinje and Kopren) — were stu­ nachgewiesen werden. Diese Nachweise sind re le vant, weil died most extensively. Records from other parts of Serbia beide Arten dort an ihrer westlichen Areal gren ze leben. M. arduinna wurde erst kürzlich als serbische Art nachge wie­ were gathered during field trips across Serbia, par ti ally sen, wohingegen die meisten bisherigen Nach wei se von N. within framework of the PBA of Serbia project (Jak šić vaualbum recht alt waren und auf ein mög li ches Erlöschen [ed.] 2008). hinwiesen. Wir veröffentlichen hier die in den letzten Jahren bekanntgewordenen Funde und er gän zen um weitere 16 Specimens have been identified using determination Nachweise. Die Funde werden auf Kar ten dargestellt, und keys (Lafranchis 2004, Tolman & Lewington 2008) die potentielle Verbreitung wird disku tiert. Während M. and photographed if possible. When in doubt, authors arduinna wahrscheinlich oft übersehen wur de und die col lected specimens and pre pared them for genitalia neueren Nachweise die Folge gezielter Nachsu che waren, dis section. One specimen of Nymphalis vaualbum was wird das aktuelle Vorkommen von N. vau al bum als Resultat caught in a butterfly trap, with rotten fruit as a bait. einer rezenten Einwanderung mit fol gen der Etablierung und Vermehrung der Population ge se hen. Results and discussion Melitaea arduinna Introduction Until 2007, there were no records of from Serbia. The closest records were from Vrška Čuka Nymphalis vaualbum (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) in Bulgaria (Abadjiev 2001) and northern Macedonia (Fig. 1) is a butterfly species with a Holarctic dis tri bu­ (Schei der & Jakšić 1989). The species has been dis co­ tion, but considered rare in Europe west of Russia. Most ver ed in Serbia during field research on the project Pri me of the historical records of Nymphalis vaualbum in Ser bia Butterfly Areas in Serbia, when P. Jakšić, I. Dodok, M. are almost 100 years old (Forster & Wohlfahrt 1955, Đurić and A. Zelenbaba (Grozdanović) recorded spe cies Anđus 2008), with only few sightings from one lo ca li ty in four different localities in 2007 (Jakšić & Groz danović in the second half of the twentieth century (Ze če vić 2007, Jakšić [ed.] 2008). The loca li ties Mt. Stol, Lazarev 2002). The species is declared endangered in both the Canyon and Mt. Deli Jovan are all very close to each Red Data Book of Serbian Butterflies (Jakšić 2003) and other, situated in NE Serbia near the Bor town, while Mt. the Red Data Book of European Butterflies (van Swaay Rtanj is some 30 km to the south, near Boljevac town. & Warren 2003), due to an estimated decrease of the Next year, R. Verovnik, A. Key meu len and M. Đurić population size of 50–80%. It requires special con ser va­ found no less than 10 ♂♂ in Je laš nica gorge E of the city tion and is listed in Annex II and Annex IV of the EU of Niš (Đurić et al. 2010). On two oc ca sions during 2009, Habitats directive (92/43/EEC), Bern Convention on the M. Popović repeated the re cord for Jelašnica gorge with conservation of European wildlife and na tur al habitats a ♂ in May and a ♀ in June. In June he also added a new (1979) and declared as one of the qua li fy ing species for record for Gornja Stu dena vil lage, situated on the same Natura 2000 sites. northern slope of the Suva Planina Mt, approximately © Entomologischer Verein Apollo e. V., Frankfurt am Main 170 4 km from Jelaš ni ca gorge to the south. In this case, just another fresh specimen was observed at Mt. Mu čanj in a single tatty ♀ was found. In Stara Planina M. arduinna western Serbia. That record is significant, as the spe cies was dis co ver ed in three different sites — by M. Urošević was not previously recorded in western Serbia (Do dok in Aldinac (Uroše vić 2009), by F. Franeta and M. Đurić 2003, Đurić 2007). The species was recorded again in in Topli Dol and by M. Popović in Temska. Although these Jelašnica gorge on 18. vi., this time a fresh ♀ (Đurić et al. localities be long to the same massif, distances between 2010). Both records from Stara Planina have come later them are more than 15 km. These records indicate that than the others: one in Topli Dol on 6. vii., and one in the spe cies is more common in southeast Serbia than Arbinje on 16. vii. ex pected and new sites are likely to be discovered in the next years. Surprisingly the species was found together with M. ar du in na both in Stara Planina and Suva Planina, much According to our records the flight period of M. ar duin na fur ther south than any previous records in Europe. N. in Serbia is from end of May until beginning of July vau al bum has a much more scattered distribution in with ♀♀ appearing some 7–10 d later than the ♂♂. The Serbia (Fig. 4). The historical records are all from the al titudinal span of the records is from 300–900 m, but northern part of the country indicating that the Danube with all records from generally montaneous regions. river ba sin could be the southern limit of the species Ad ults were most frequently observed in sheltered areas dis tri bu tion in Serbia. With new records the picture has such as grassy woodland clearings in vicinity of oak and chan ged dramatically and it is clear that the species oc cu­ beech forests, and humid gorges. As such ha bi tats are pies a much wider area in Serbia, almost to the border of common in the region it is likely that new loca li ties will Macedonia. Since only single specimens were ob serv ed be discovered, especially in Stara planina and Sićev o it is hard to decide whether these were just vagrant gorge. in dividuals or residents in these regions. The presence Despite limited number of records, the M. arduinna dis­ of fresh adults does however indicate that at least li mit ed tribution map gives quite a good overview (Fig. 3) show­ breeding of the species is present in Serbia. Since adults ing the potential natural boundaries of the species with NW edge of the distribution along Danube and Mo rava Tab. 1: Chronological list of recent records of the two species in Serbia. river valleys. Whether its range further south wards UTM (34T) Altitude Date Location and eastwards is contiguous with the known lo ca li ties [m] in Bulgaria and Macedonia remains to be in ves ti gated. Easting Northing Current published records (Abadjiev 2001, Schei der & Melitaea arduinna Jakšić 1989) show a highly fragmented distri bu tion that 1. vi. 2007 Mt. Rtanj 572350 4849658 376 could be a result of lack of systematic sur veys in Bulgaria 18. vi. 2007 Lazarev canyon 576276 4874984 467 and Macedonia. 19. vi. 2007 Mt. Stol 589437 4893902 869 Unlike the previous species, Nymphalis vaualbum was 20. vi. 2007 Mt. Stol 590315 4892595 848 known in Serbia for a long time.