Rudi Verovnik

• dr.
• Professor at University of Ljubljana

The butterfly fauna of Armenia has, in general, been well documented but there is very little published information regarding the precise locations of individual butterfly species. Consequently, we aimed to cover as wide an area as possible during our surveys of the country. During three separate visits undertaken between 2017 and 2021, we surveyed...

During field surveys in recent years in the southernmost part of Algeria in Tamanrasset Province, a photographic account of the butterfly fauna was made. Fifteen species were recorded at four locations. Among these, the sky-blue Cupid, Chilades eleusis was recorded for the first time from the country and the north-western part of Africa. The specie...

Results on the genital morphology and the phylogenetics of the Arabian species of the genus Lepidochrysops Hedicke, 1923 with focus on L. forsskali Larsen, 1982 and L. haveni Larsen, 1983 are presented. The male and female genitalia of L. haveni Larsen, 1983, and the female genitalia of L. forsskali Larsen, 1982 are described and figured for the fi...

During four surveys in 2022 and 2023, we studied the butterfly fauna of Mt. Faifa at 25 locations situated mainly on the wooded north western side of the mountain. A total of 75 species were recorded, bringing the species count for the mountain to 82, which represents 65 % of the butterfly fauna of Saudi Arabia. Several rare species were recorded i...

Simple Summary Myrmecophilous butterflies are highly specialized insects that depend on specific ant species in their habitat to complete their life cycle. The present study was triggered by the drastic decrease in the population size of a myrmecophilous butterfly Scarce large blue (Phengaris teleius) between the years 2008 and 2012 in Ljubljansko...

During surveys in February and September 2022 focused on the butterfly fauna of the mountainous southwestern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we unexpectedly discovered the alien species Western Pygmy Blue (Brephidium exilis) at two locations. These are the first records of this species in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula, where i...

The southwestern Posavsko hills and northern Suha krajina are among the least studied areas regarding the butterfly fauna in Slovenia. To fill this knowledge gap, we selected all unpublished records of butterflies since 2014, in addition to the focused field surveys performed in the 2019-2022 period. We recorded a total of 105 butterfly species, pr...

This is a free translation of the original text, intended to facilitate reading to non-Spanish readers.

In order to update the faunistic information on the butterflies of the Iberian peninsula (Portugal, Spain) we determined the level of knowledge on the basis of the 10 x 10 km MGRS grid. We include the detailed list of 'void' cells.

Svilaja is a 30 km-long mountain range in the Outer Dinarides in the hinterland of northern Dalmatia, between the rivers Cetina and Čikola. It has never been the target of systematic butterfly surveys and its fauna remained completely unknown. During our surveys from 2019 to 2022, we recorded 112 butterfly species at 37 sites. The butterfly richnes...

Extensively used humid meadows, with high biodiversity are under threat in Europe due to anthropogenic pressure. Increasing frequency of prolonged floods is emerging as an additional threat to this fragile environment. In our study, we explored how prolonged floods impact the spatial distribution and its dynamic over time (caused by mortality and r...

Simple Summary A decline in the number and diversity of pollinators has been observed worldwide. Various butterfly species are also threatened by extinction. One of the less studied reasons for the pollinator decline are pathogens, although it is known that they can be transmitted between cultivated and some wild pollinator species. The objective o...

Based on available literature sources, review of museum collections and own field studies, 121 species of butterflies have been recorded in the municipality of Kamnik to date, which ranks it among the richest in Slovenia. Among them, there are 17 species that were last observed only in the last century and for the most part we can assume that they...

Our main goal was to investigate the phylogeography of the butterfly Phengaris arion to reveal the evolutionary origin of its 'spring' and 'summer' forms. Molecular analyses based on highly variable microsatellites, together with Wolbachia screening, were carried out on 34 populations in Europe. We found three well-defined genetic lineages of diffe...

Our main goal was to investigate the phylogeography of the butterfly Phengaris arion to reveal the evolutionary origin of its ‘spring’ and ‘summer’ forms. Molecular analyses based on highly variable microsatellites, together with Wolbachia screening, were carried out on 34 populations in Europe. We found three well-defined genetic lineages of diffe...

We provide information on the unexpected discovery of Proterebia phegea in Albania, the fourth distinct distribution area for the species in the Balkan Peninsula. The butterfly was found to be numerous on south-facing slopes at Qafa e Buallit pass in Dibër County. The most striking characteristic of the habitat is the sandy brown ophiolite rocky su...

Occurrences of the Little Tiger Blue, Tarucus balkanicus (Freyer, 1844) in Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina represent the northern and western distribution limits of this species in its entire range. During our surveys the species was observed at 27 locations in Croatia and two new locations in Bosnia & Herzegovina. The most interesting records are...

The Lepidoptera fauna of Dhofar province and Sultanate of Oman in general have been poorly studied with a total of 63 species recorded so far for the province. Our aim was to study the distribution of Lepidoptera more in detail, in particularly for some rare species with limited records. We sum up the results of 13 expeditions to Dhofar in the peri...

The paper presents and discusses the first observations of two-tailed pasha (Charaxes jasius) in northeastern Adriatic, including first records for Slovenia. It was first noted north of its known range in Umag, Istria, in 2018, followed by an observation in Piran in 2019, Savudrija in 2020, and three observations in 2021 from well-separated localit...

An overview of the surveys of butterfly fauna of Mt. Blegoš, Mt. Koprivnik and their surroundings is provided. In 2018, 14 surveys were performed and 80 butterfly species on eight transects recorded in the process. Additional surveys in 2019 and 2020 yielded 5 additional butterfly species. Among the butterflies observed, Parnassius mnemosyne, Lycae...

In our contribution we report on the local host ants of two threatened and protected butterfly species, the scarce large blue (Phengaris teleius) and the dusky large blue (P. nausithous) at Goričko (NE Slovenia), which hosts one of the largest and the most important metapopulation for both species of large blues in Slovenia. Larvae of both species...

Mosor is a small mountain massif situated in central Dalmatia, above the cities of Split and Omiš. It was never a target of any systematic butterfly surveys, with its fauna remaining almost completely unknown. During our surveys from 2011 to 2020, we recorded 96 butterfly species at 60 localities. With the literature record of Polyommatus ripartii,...

Efectos del gradiente de altitud y la orientación en la diversidad de mariposas de la montaña Galičica, en la República de Macedonia (Europa sudoriental) Los patrones de diversidad de mariposas y los cambios en las comunidades en relación con la altitud son un tema interesante y bien estudiado en ecología, pero los efectos de la orientación se han...

V letih 2007 in 2019 je bil opravljen kvantitativni popis favne dnevnih metuljev v osrednjem delu vojaškega poligona Poček sciljem primerjave stanja obeh vzorčenj ter ovrednotenja vpliva vojaških aktivnosti na pestrost favne dnevnih metuljev. S standardizirano metodo transektnega popisa na linijah, ki so vključevale vse za območje poligona reprezen...

In this report, we update the European Grassland Butterfly Indicator, present new butterfly indicators for widespread species, woodland butterflies, as well as butterflies in urban environments, in Natura 2000 areas and as climate change indicators. The indicators use field data up to and including the 2018 field season. The method for calculating...

We surveyed all known historical sites and potential suitable habitats of Alcon Blue based on satellite images in the western part of Ljubljansko barje. The species was present only in the area between Vrhnika and Ligojna. In this area two habitat patches were occupied by Alcon Blue at the distance of 300 meters. The population size was determined...

Lička Plješevica is an elongated mountain massif situated in the Croatian Lika region, at the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was never a target of any systematic butterfly surveys, and its butterfly fauna was poorly studied. During our surveys from 2007 to 2019, we recorded 142 butterfly species on 71 localities. Along with the records from...

Na območju zahodnega dela Ljubljanskega barja, smo pregledali vse do sedaj znane lokacije sviščevega mravljiščarja in območja, kjer smo iz satelitskih posnetkov prepoznali potencialno primeren življenjski prostor za to vrsto. Sviščevega mravljiščarja smo potrdili le na območju med Vrhniko in Ligojno. Vrsta se pojavlja na dveh habitatnih krpah, ki s...

Lička Plješevica es un alargado macizo montañoso situado en la region croata de Lika, en la frontera con Bosnia y Herzegovina. No fue una meta, de ninguna investigación sistemática de las mariposas y su fauna está pobremente estudiada. Durante nuestras inspeciones de 2007 a 2019, registramos 142 especies de mariposas de 71 localidades. Al mismo tie...

Thor's Fritillary (Boloria thore) has been considered extremely rare and localised at the south-eastern edge of its distribution in the Alps, especially in Slovenia. Despite surveys focused on sites with historical records (Julian Alps, Karavanke mts.), there is almost a century long gap with no observations. its discovery on the south-eastern slop...

V Sloveniji je bilo doslej skupno zanesljivo opaženih 181 vrst dnevnih me-tuljev. V posodobljenem seznamu so glede na Atlas dnevnih metuljev Slovenije iz leta 2012 dodane tri vrste: Leptidea juvernica, Pieris balcana in Melitaea ornata. Podane so informacije o njihovem odkritju in razširjenosti v Sloveniji ter razlaga njihovega slovenskega poimenov...

Mt Kozjak is an elongated mountain ridge situated in central Dalmatia, just above the Riviera of Kaštela near Split. It was well surveyed a century ago by Hermann Stauder who recorded 38 butterfly species. Among these, Papilio alexanor was the most prominent discovery. During our surveys from 2007 to 2018, we recorded 82 butterfly species at 19 loc...

The data presented here includes selection of 5 successfully amplified protein-coding markers for inferring phylogenetic relationships of the family of amphipod crustaceans Niphargidae. These markers have been efficiently amplified from niphargid samples for the first time and present the framework for robust phylogenetic assessment of the family N...

Red Lists are very valuable tools in nature conservation at global, continental and (sub-) national scales. In an attempt to prioritise conservation actions for European butterflies, we compiled a database with species lists and Red Lists of all European countries, including the Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands). In tot...

This paper presents an updated checklist of the butterflies of Europe, together with their original name combinations, and their occurrence status in each European country. According to this checklist, 496 species of the superfamily Papilionoidea occur in Europe. Changes in comparison with the last version (2.6.2) of Fauna Europaea are discussed. C...

Changes in butterfly fauna in the Koroška region in northeastern Slovenia have been compared over a period of 22 years. Records from 12 sampling sites from late July 2016 are compared with the same sites from late July/early August 1994. On average, 30% of species richness was lost per site, with a maximum loss of 80% at one site with complete habi...

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 ch...

Data from eight butterfly surveys, mostly within the last 10 years, were combined to improve the knowledge of the distribution of butterflies in the Anti-Atlas region of Morocco. The records from 40 localities are presented and discussed. A total of 54 species were observed, closely matching the known butterfly fauna of the region. Interesting reco...

Borovničev mnogook (Plebejus optilete) je v Sloveniji razširjen le na ovršnem delu zahodnega Pohorja, kjer živi na šestih ločenih območjih. Vrsta je vezana na vrstno bogata gorska travišča na silikatni podlagi tipa volkovje (Homogyno-alpine-Nardetum) z visokim deležem borovnic in jesenske vrese. Za ugodno stanje habitata sta pomembni še navadna zla...

This technical report describes the collection of data for an assessment of the multivariate relationships between a group of parameters and the distribution of butterflies over Butterfly Monitoring Transects. The results can be used for the development of future scenarios to investigate the effects on biodiversity, and butterflies in particular.

Periodical changes of glacial and interglacial conditions have influenced the distribution of most living organisms and shape the separation of different genetic lineages significantly. We investigated the phylogeography of a nymphalid butterfly Melitaea ornata. Our main aim was to explore the existence, the origin, and the variability of different...

For the great majority of insect species population data are limited and Red Lists usually meet only the IUCN criterion B related to changes in distribution. Using this criterion with field records from Alciphron database and R statistical software, we assessed the National Red List status for 191 butterfly species of Serbia. 70,031 field records f...

Nearly five decades have passed since the last confirmed occurrence of the Southern Swallowtail (Papilio alexanor Esper, 1799) in Croatia. The species was not observed at any of the historical sites, but we found it at seven new sites between Split and the region south of the Neretva River. The habitat is very restricted and characterised by steep...

Han pasado cinco décadas desde la última presencia confirmada de la macaón meridional (Papilio alexanor Esper, 1799) en Croacia. La especie no se ha observado en las localidades históricas, pero la encontramos en siete nuevos lugares entre Split y la región al sur del Río Neretva. El hábitat está muy restringido y se caracteriza por roquedos calcár...

Data from four surveys within the last six years were combined in order to improve the knowledge of the butterfly distribution in the Republic of Macedonia. These surveys covered a total of 40 localities, with special emphasis on less sampled areas of the south-western part of the country. The study yielded recording of 131 species, including sever...

The 22 Sri Lankan representatives of the family Platystictidae, all endemic to the island and belonging to the distinct endemic subfamily Platystictinae, are revised, and a new reconstruction of the phylogeny based on molecular characters is provided. Five new species are described: Ceylonosticta venusta sp. nov. (holotype ♂: Rambodde Falls, at the...

Aim The Mediterranean Red List assessment is a review of the conservation status at regional level of approximately 6,000 species (amphibians, mammals, reptiles, fishes, butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, molluscs, corals and plants) according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. It identifies those species that are threatened with extinct...

The Palaearctic Grayling genus Pseudochazara encompasses a number of petrophilous butterfly species, most of which are local endemics especially in their centre of radiation in SW Asia and the Balkans. Due to a lack of consistent morphological characters, coupled with habitat induced variability, their taxonomy is poorly understood and species deli...

Negativni vpliv svetlobnega onesnaževanja na nočne metulje je znan, vendar premalo raziskan pojav. V letih 2011–2013 smo na 15 izbranih cerkvah v različnih biogeografskih regijah Slovenije in na Koči na Sabotinu preučevali nočne metulje na osvetljenih delih fasad. Skupno smo zabeležili 609 vrst nočnih metuljev, kar je približno 20 % vseh v Slovenij...

During a field trip to SE Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2011 a small population of Polyommatus aroaniensis was dis­covered south of the town of Gacko. This is the north-west­ernmost locality for this species, far from its con­ti­guo­us range in Greece, Bulgaria and southern Macedonia. In sub­sequent years additional studies provided evidence for an ext...

The mainland of northern Dalmatia has been surprisingly omitted from recent faunistic studies of butterfly fauna in the Croatian coastal region. In order to fill this gap we summarized our observations made in the regionduring the last two decades. Altogether 81 species were recorded, including several rare and potentially threatened species. Among...

During the last eight years several surveys were undertaken to improve the knowledge of the butterfly distribution in Croatia. In this paper we provide additional data for Mt Velebit for some taxa with poorly known distributions like Pieris (napi) balcana Lorković, 1970 as well as the first records for Carterocephalus palaemon, Gegenes pumilio, Lyc...

During the years 2009 to 2013, three visits to Montenegro were made to study the spring and early summer butterfly fauna. The focus of our study was on the south-western part of the country, especially the coastal region. a total of 31 localities were visited and some interesting observations were made. altogether 112 species were recorded, confirm...

During field surveys conducted in Albania in 2014, we encountered 90 species of butterflies. Anthocharis damone Boisduval, 1836 is a new species for the fauna of Albania while Apatura metis Freyer, 1829 is confirmed for the country. With these discoveries the number of butterfly species known to occur in Albania has risen to 200 and our surveys add...

After more than 70 years the endemic subspecies of Silky Ringlet Erebia gorge vagana was again observed at the type locality near Vaganski vrh on Mt Velebit, Croatia. At least four adults were seen on north-facing screes in August 2014. As it is limited to the highest parts of the mountain, the species is severely threatened by current climate chan...

This report presents the fifth version of the European Grassland Butterfly Indicator, one of the EU biodiversity indicators of the European Environment Agency. The indicator is based on national Butterfly Monitoring Schemes in 22 countries across Europe, most of them active in the European Union. Fluctuations in numbers between years are typical fe...

Albanian insect fauna is one of the least studied in Europe. In 2012 and 2013 surveys were undertaken with the aim of improving the knowledge of the distribution of butterflies, particularly in the southern part of the country. This research has resulted in publicating three new species records for Albania. Here we add two new species to the list o...

Caves are long-known examples of evolutionary replications where similar morphologies (troglomorphies) evolve independently as the result of strong natural selection of the extreme environment. Recently, this paradigm has been challenged based on observations that troglomorphies are inconsistent across taxa and different subterranean habitats. We i...

Albanian insect fauna is one of the least studied in Europe. In 2012 and 2013 surveys were undertaken with the aim of improving the knowledge of the distribution of butterflies, particularly in the southern part of the country. This research has resulted in publicating three new species records for Alba-nia. Here we add two new species to the lis...

The study of the butterfly fauna of the Croatian islands Vir, Murter, Čiovo and Šolta is presented. Fieldwork was carried out from 2012 to 2014, and each island was visited several times, in different vegetation seasons. Altogether 56 species were recorded during the survey, 36 on Vir, 42 on Murter, 30 on Čiovo and 37 on Šolta. Most species records...

The Brown's Grayling (Pseudochazara amymone) is one of the most enigmatic and sought after species among European butterflies. Hiding its exact distribution for almost 40 years with the idea of protecting it, resulted in an increasing collector's interest, with market prices reaching up to 1000 euro for a single female after its discovery in Albani...

Egg batches obtained from females, sampled from populations of Melitaea ornata-like butterflies in south-western Slovenia in 2011 and 2012, were reared under 'laboratory' conditions in the U.K. Most unusually, heavy mortality of ova, larvae, pupae and imagines was observed and very few healthy butterflies resulted from the female captured in 2011....

The paper provides an overview on the distribution of recently discovered Scarce Large Blue (Phengaris (Maculinea) teleius) in northern Serbia (Selevenj Sands, Ludaš Lake and Su- botica Sands). Mapping of the butterfly and its habitat has shown that most of the suitable habitats are limited to protected areas where at least some of the wet meadows...

Until recently very little was known about the bio­logy and ecology of Brown’s Grayling (Pseudochazara amy­mone (Brown, 1976)). In order to shed more light on this elusive species we present a manuscript on the ha­bi­tat requirements of P. amymone along with a detailed de­scrip­tion of its preimaginal stages, and also provide help­ ful information...

The Stara Planina Mts. region in Serbia has already been recognized as one of the most butterfly rich regions in Europe with good populations of several rare and threatened species. However, so far the southern part of Stara Planina has been poorly studied. We therefore focused our field surveys on that region visiting 22 sites over a period of sev...

Synopsis The eastern limit of the distribution of Pyrgus malvoides has not been sufficiently studied. Field studies were undertaken and available collections of P. malvoides and P. malvae from eastern italy, south-western Slovenia and istria (Croatia) were examined. The known range of P. malvoides was extended eastwards and the species was found at...

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...

This report presents the European Grassland Butterfly Indicator, based on national Butterfly Monitoring Schemes (BMS) in 19 countries across Europe, most of them in the European Union. The indicator shows that since 1990 till 2011 butterfly populations have declined by almost 50 %, indicating a dramatic loss of grassland biodiversity. This also mea...

The Macedonian Grayling is listed as critically endangered in the recent IUCN Red List of European butterflies because of its extreme rarity and habitat loss due to quarrying. This categorisation was, however, based on rather limited knowledge on its actual distribution, popu-lation size and habitat requirements. In 2012, we conducted field surveys...

During our field survey in the south-eastern part of the Republic of Albania, we encountered the Greek clouded yellow (Colias aurorina) at two sites, representing the first record for the species in Europe outside Greece. It was found common at one site on the Albanian side of the Grammos Mts. with possibly continuous range into northern Greece. As...

The Atlas is a modern comprehensive summary of the knowledge on butterflies in Slovenia. On 456 pages, 179 species of butterflies occuring in Slovenia are presented with Slovene and English text, pictures, maps and charts. It is based on 212,936 records from 11,523 localities, from year 1685 till the end of 2011. Almost 85% of records were collecte...

Twenty-nine butterfly species are listed on the Annexes of the Habitats Directive. To assist everyone who wants or needs to take action for one of these species, we compiled an overview of the habitat requirements and ecology of each species, as well as information on their conservation status in Europe. This was taken from the recent Red List and...

Abstract. The Small Bath White, Pontia chloridice (Hübner, 1813), is a rare species in the Balkan Peninsula and has been known only by two reliable historical records from the Republic of Macedonia. Its presence was therefore considered a result of rare long distance migrations to the country. In the last three years the species was observed on sev...

Melitaea arduinna (Esper, 1783) (“Freyer’s Fritillary”) was long considered as extremely rare and local at the western edge of its distribution in the Balkan Peninsula. It was only recently discovered in Serbia, where it is now reported from several localities. Although its life cycle has previously been described, there is no published photographi...

There are only a few historical records of the Osiris Blue from Slovenia, and two are plausible based on the species habitat requirements. The record from gravel banks of the Sava River north of Ljubljana has been confirmed by a single female preserved in the collection of the Slovenian Museum of Natural History. Additionally, several collected spe...

The Mlake military area in Vipava Valley has been recognized as possibly the most prominent ‘hot spot’ of butterfly diversity in Slovenia. An area of less than one square kilometre hosts 102 butterfly species or almost 57% of the total species confirmed for Slovenia. Among these, 23 species have been recognized as nationally or continentally threat...

Slovenia has one of the most extensive Natura 2000 networks in Europe with 259 SAC’s covering 31.4% of the country. To determine how well does the current network cover the areas of high butterfly diversity and/or aggregation of the butterfly species of conservation concern, the data from the recent survey for a distribution atlas were used. Altoge...

The IUCN is the leading authority on assessing species’ extinction risks worldwide and introduced the use of quantitative criteria for the compilation of Red Lists of threatened species. Recently, we assessed the threat status of the 483 European butterfly species, using semi-quantitative data on changes in distribution and in population sizes prov...

Since the publication of the first overview of the butterfly fauna of the Croatian islands in this journal in 2008, additional historical records and recent articles on the butterfly fauna of Hvar, Mljet, Lastovo and Krk have added further information. The 20-year survey of Krk by Habeler has increased the species recorded to 104, which makes it th...

Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli) is the first invasive butterfly species recorded in Slovenia. It was first observed in Gorjansko village on the Kras Plateau in autumn 2008. Next year an expansion followed with observations from more than 30 sites in SW Slovenia. It was observed in Vipava valley, Kras Plateau, and in towns along the coastline....