34 Entomologist's Rec.J.Var.

131 (2019)

First report on the butterfly fauna of Kučaj Mt. (Serbia) (Lep.:

Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea)
Kučaj is a mountain range in eastern Serbia (Fig. 1). It is situated between
the rivers Resava, Zlotska Reka and Crni Timok and belongs to the group of
the Carpathian-Balkan mountains. The mountain extends north-east to
south-west, over 40 kilometres. The highest peak is Velika Tresta (1284 m
a.s.l.), composed of slate and limestone. This region is characterized by
presence of relict and endemorelict species from the Tertiary age and the
elements of the submediterranean flora. Botanical associations that include
oaks are dominant: Moesian forests of Hungarian Oak Quercus frainetto
(Ten. 1813) and Turkey oak Q. cerris (L. 1753). Forest associations of
beech and fir trees often have virgin forest character. According to Matvejev
& Puncer (1989. Karta bioma, predeli Jugoslavije i njihova zaštita. vol. 36)
there are two landscapes types (biomes) in the study area: submediterranean
oak woodlands and South European mostly deciduous foothill and montane
woodlands (Quercion frainetto Ht. 1954, Fagion moesiacae Bl. et Lak.
1970, Querco-Carpinetum moesiacum Rud. 1949, Querco-Fagetum Gliš.
1971). The climate is temperate continental. The average annual air
temperature is about 10°C and the mean annual precipitation between 700
and 800 mm. In 2017 the Government of The Republic of Serbia and
Institute for Nature Protection began creating a new national park, which
would cover the mountainous Kučaj-Beljanica region.
There are only scarce published data on the butterfly fauna of Kučaj Mt.
Areas known to have been examined are the Resava River Gorge, by Van
Swaay et al (2007. Acta Entomologica Serbica, 12(1): 1-10), the Grza River
Gorge, by Nahirnić (2011. Biologica Nyssana, 2(2): 107-117) and Jakšić
(2011. Phegea 39(1): 8-11) and the Lazareva River canyon, by Zečević
(2002. Fauna leptira Timočke krajine, Istočna Srbija).

Fig. 1. Map of Serbia with the location of Fig. 2. Locations of collecting.

the Kučaj Mt. (red spot).
35 Entomologist's Rec.J.Var. 131 (2019)

Collecting of butterflies was undertaken using a conventional

entomological net. The presence of butterfly species in the field was also
documented by digital camera. Protected species are registered only by
observation or digital camera. Fieldwork was undertaken on 6 days: 20 &
26 June, 5 & 10 July and 9 August in 2009 and on 24 July 2011 at four
locations.
1. Ćuprija Municipality: Senje (Ravanica Monastery), N 43°58’29” E
21°29’47”, 268 m, UTM: EP36. Habitats: Oak - hornbean woods, dry
and moderately wet geasslands and ruderal habitats. Sampled
10.vii.2009.
2. Despotovac Municipality: Strmosten (Resava river Gorge), N 44°05’14”
E 21°38’59”, 419 m, UTM: EP58. Habitats: mixed oak-beech woods,
shrubs, ruderal habitats. Sampled 24.vii.2011.
3. Paraćin Municipality: Sisevac, N 43°57’17” E 21°34’46”, 339 m, UTM:
EP46. Habitats: moderately wet meadows. Sampled 26.vi.2009. &
9.viii.2009.
4. Paraćin Municipality: Stubica, N 43°58’07” E 21°33’03”, 460 m, UTM:
EP46. Habitats: oak - hornbean woods, dry mountain meadows.
Sampled 20.vi.2009. & 5.vii.2009.

Identification of species was based on external morphology with reference

to Tolman & Lewington (1997. Butterflies of Britain and Europe) and
Lafranchis (2004. Butterflies of Europe. New Field Guide and key. Diatheo).
Genitalia were not checked. Butterflies are listed in taxonomic order
following the nomenclature by Karsholt & Razowski (1996. The
Lepidoptera of Europe. A Distributional Checklist), Van Swaay et al (2010.
European Red List of Butterflies) and Kudrna et al (2011. Distribution Atlas
of Butterflies in Europe. Gesellschaft f. Schmetterlingschutz).
During the six field days the total number of recorded species was 59,
subdivided into Hesperiidae – 6, Papilionidae – 2, Pieridae – 7, Riodinidae –
1, Lycaenidae – 12 and Nymphalidae – 31. Analysed by locality, the
numbers of species recorded were Stubica – 34, Resava river Gorge – 30,
Sisevac – 22 and Senje – 18. The 59 species were distributed between four
sites as follows:
Hesperiidae – Erynnis tages (Linnaeus, 1758): [1, 4]; Pyrgus malvae
(Linnaeus, 1758): [2, 4]; Pyrgus alveus (Hübner, 1803): [2]; Heteropterus
morpheus (Pallas, 1771): [3]; Thymelicus sylvestris (Poda, 1761): [3, 4];
Ochlodes sylvanus (Esper, 1777): [1, 2].
Papilionidae – Iphiclides podalirius (Linnaeus, 1758): [1, 2]; Papilio
machaon (Linnaeus, 1758): [1].
Pieridae – Leptidea sinapis (Linnaeus, 1758): [2, 3]; Aporia crataegi
(Linnaeus, 1758): [4]; Pieris mannii (Masyer, 1851): [1, 4]; Pieris rapae
36 Entomologist's Rec.J.Var. 131 (2019)

(Linnaeus, 1758): [1, 2, 3, 4]; Pieris napi (Linnaeus, 1758): [1, 2, 3, 4];
Colias crocea (Geoffroy, 1785): [1, 3]; Gonepteryx rhamni (Linnaeus,
1758): [2].
Riodinidae – Hamearis lucina (Linnaeus, 1758): [1, 2, 4].
Lycaenidae – Lycaena dispar (Haworth, 1802): [3]; Callophrys rubi
(Linnaeus, 1758): [4]; Satyrium spini (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775): [1];
Satyrium ilicis (Esper, 1779): [4]; Celastrina argiolus (Linnaeus, 1758): [1];
Phengaris arion (Linnaeus, 1758): [2]; Plebejus argus (Linnaeus, 1758): [1,
4]; Plebejus idas (Linnaeus, 1761): [3]; Polyommatus icarus (Rottemburg,
1775): [1, 2, 3, 4]; Polyommatus bellargus (Rottemburg, 1775): [2];
Polyommatus daphnis (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775): [2, 4]; Polyommatus
coridon (Poda, 1761): [2].
Nymphalidae – Argynnis paphia (Linnaeus, 1758 ): [2, 3, 4]; Argynis
adippe (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775): [2]; Issoria lathonia (Linnaeus,
1758): [4]; Brenthis daphne (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775): [4]; Brenthis
hecate (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775): [4]; Boloria dia (Linnaeus, 1767):
[3, 4]; Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758): [4]; Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus,
1758): [2]; Aglais io (Linnaeus, 1758): [2, 3]; Polygonia c-album (Linnaeus,
1758): [1, 2, 3, 4]; Araschnia levana (Linnaeus, 1758): [2, 3, 4]; Nymphalis
antiopa (Linnaeus, 1758): [3, 4]; Melitaea phoebe (Denis & Schiffermüller,
1775): [4]; Melitaea athalia (Rottemburg, 1775): [3]; Limenitis camila
(Linnaeus, 1764): [2]; Limenitis reducta (Staudinger, 1901): [2]; Neptis
rivularis (Scopoli, 1763): [2]; Neptis sappho (Pallas, 1771): [1, 2, 4];
Apatura ilia (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775): [2]; Kirinia roxelana (Cramer,
1777): [3, 4]; Pararge aegeria (Linnaeus, 1758): [3, 4]; Lasiommata
megera (Linnaeus, 1767): [2, 4]; Coenonympha arcania (Linnaeus, 1761):
[1, 4]; Coenonympha pamphilus (Linnaeus, 1758): [1, 3, 4]; Aphantopus
hyperantus (Linnaeus, 1758): [2, 4]; Maniola jurtina (Linnaeus, 1758): [1,
2, 4]; Erebia ligea (Linnaeus, 1758): [2, 4]; Melanargia galathea (Linnaeus,
1758): [3]; Minois dryas (Scopoli, 1763): [3, 4]; Arethusana arethusa
(Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775): [3]; Brintesia circe (Fabricius, 1775): [2,
4].
The recorded species are all within their known area of distribution; they
are also common and expected. Most of them have already been found in
previous research, at the locations Resava River Gorge and Lazareva River
canyon. According to Red List status of European butterflies by Van Swaay
et al (2010. European Red List of Butterflies), one species, Phengaris arion
is threatened (Endangered) at the European level. Two species are listed in
the Habitats Directive (Annex II and Annex IV) (1992.
ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/.../ habitatsdirective/index_ en.ht.) and the
Bern Convention (Annex II) (1979.
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/nature/bern /default_en. asp.):
Lycaena dispar and Phengaris arion. Also, these two species are target
species for PBAs of Serbia by Jakšić (2008. Bulletin of the Natural History
37 Entomologist's Rec.J.Var. 131 (2019)

Museum, 1, 205-228). Five of the recorded species are strictly protected by

law of the Republic of Serbia (Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia,
5/10, 1-46): Papilio machaon, Lycaena dispar, Phengaris arion, Nymphalis
antiopa and Apatura ilia.
BOBAN STANKOVIĆ
Department of Environmental Protection, City of Jagodina, Serbia
(E-mail: boban.stankovic035@gmail.com)