Miloš Popović

Annotated checklist of Albanian butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea)

Abstract The Republic of Albania has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. However, due to its political isolation, it has never been studied in great depth, and consequently, the existing list of butterfly species is outdated and in need of radical amendment. In addition to our personal data, we have studied the available literature, and can report a total of 196 butterfly species recorded from the country. For some of the species in the list we have given explanations for their inclusion and made other annotations. Doubtful records have been removed from the list, and changes in taxonomy have been updated and discussed separately. The purpose of our paper is to remove confusion and conflict regarding published records. However, the revised checklist should not be considered complete: it represents a starting point for further research.

New findings of the butterfly Phengaris teleius at the border between Hungary and Serbia (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae).

Abstract Background Due to its interesting life cycle, vulnerability and conservation importance, the butterfly Phengaris teleius is one of the most studied insects in Europe. It was discovered in Serbia only in 2012 and there were no data on its distribution from the south of Hungary. New information Phengaris teleius was recorded for the first time in four localities in Hungary and in additional locality in Serbia. This suggests that the local populations are more interconnected than previousely thought and that conservation efforts should be done in collaboration between the two countries. All localities are inside protected areas and management measures for preserving several target species already exist. This represents a solid base for the conservation of newly discovered populations of P. teleius.

Revised checklist of the butterflies of Serbia (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea)

With studies spanning almost two centuries, butterflies are one of the best known insect groups in Serbia. However, there are still several inconsistencies regarding the number and selection of species included in national checklists published in the last decades. In order to overcome the confusing situation we provide a taxonomically up-to-date checklist of the butterflies for the country, including Kosovo, based on a comprehensive survey of the literature, inspection of available museum collections and from intensive field surveys over the last twenty years. Our aim is also to resolve some long standing problems with species potentially occurring in the country. For this purpose genitalia dissections and DNA barcoding have been used for identification where necessary. The annotated checklist includes 199 species of which Carcharodus orientalis is new for the country and the recently discovered white Anthocharis damone is listed for the first time. We also provide conclusive evidence of the presence of Melitaea ornata in Serbia. Among species listed in the previous species lists we excluded eight species due to inconclusive evidence, and provide a detailed explanation for their exclusion. We hope this publication will stimulate further studies of this important bioindicator group of insects and provide the basis for their conservation in the country.

Distribution of the meadow lizard in Europe and its realized ecological niche model

ABSTRACT One of the most interesting but elusive members of the European herpetofauna is the meadow lizard (Darevskia praticola). It is a small, ground dwelling, predominantly forest living lacertid, for which many ecological and biological data are still missing. Moreover, at least for the western part of the species range (south-eastern Europe) its distribution and environmental associations are insufficiently known, likely due to difficulties in detection even with intensive field sampling. Here, we complemented the available literature records with our personal observations and explored the effects of environmental factors shaping the species ecological niche and distribution in Europe using the ecological niche modelling approach from Maxent software. The new records of the meadow lizard fill a gap in its known distribution. The most suitable habitats are in central and eastern Serbia, south-western Romania, and central, southern and south-western Bulgaria. Mean temperature of the coldest quarter, vegetation and slope had the strongest effect in defining the meadow lizard’s ecological niche. Niche suitability increased with the increase in forest cover and slope, while the temperature showed a bell-shaped response with a rather narrow tolerance range for temperature. Contrary to expectations, precipitation seemed to have no contribution to the species occurrence. Ecological niche model performance increased with a higher resolution of predictor variables despite the lower number of available occurrence records, although the slope variable had a greater predictive power when calculated at a lower resolution. Interestingly, high resolution vegetation variables (30 m) were able to show some level of habitat fragmentation, which likely resulted from deforestation. Overall, our results epitomize the effects of limited sampling on the biogeography inference of elusive species while having significant repercussions on conservation priorities and management of the species.