Proterebia afra da m lata (Godart, 1824) (Lepidoptera, Satyrinae) recorded for the first time in Bosnia and Herzegovina
PROTEREBIA AFRA DALMATA (GODART, 1824) (LEPIDOPTERA, SATYRINAE) PRVIČ ZABELEZENA V BOSNI IN HERCEGOVINI
Toni KOREN, University of Primorska, Science and Research Center Koper, Institute for Biodiversity Studies, SI-6000 Koper, Slovenia; E-mail: koren.toni1@gmail.com Domen TRKOV, University of Primorska, Science and Research Center Koper, Institute for Biodiversity Studies, SI-6000 Koper, Slovenia
Bosnia and Herzegovina is located on the western edge of the Balkan Peninsula. The largest amount of the country is covered with mountains, highland karst, forests and pastures. A substantial part of the country is still strewn with mines that have remained there since the last war. The research of butterflies of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a very long tradition, with the first list of butterflies published more than 100 years ago (Apfelbeck 1892). Later researchers only contributed to the number of recorded species (Rebel 1904, Sijaric 1980, Lelo 2000, 2004, 2005-2007, 2007) resulting in a number of 190 species (Lelo 2007). However, the presence of some species is still doubtful and need to be checked in the future (Lelo 2007).
In the last year, the distribution map of the Dalmatian Ringlet, Proterebia afer dalmata (Godart, 1824), was published (Koren et al. 2010) and the question about its presence in the neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina has arisen. Dalmatian Ringlet flies from April to May in one generation (Tolman & Lewington 2008). In the last few years, substantial new data about P. afra dalmata were published, revealing that it is not so rare and localized in Croatia as previously expected (Mihoci & Šašic 2005, 2007, Koren et al. 2010). After the records from Kamešnica and Dinara mountains, close to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Koren et al. 2010), we wished to explore the possibility of its presence in that country.
On 28 April 2011, we took a field trip from Bosnian side of the Neretva River towards the city of Livno and eventually to Lake Buško. After a prolonged search we managed to locate a favourable habitat, and soon the first specimens of P. afra dalmata were spotted just near the road in the small village of Dobrici (Figs. 1-2). The habitat is a dry karst rocky pasture, with low grassy vegetation scarcely covered with single trees. In general, the habitat was very similar to the typical habitat of the species in Croatia. Only five specimens of P. afra dalmata were observed, which is a small number compared to the locations in Croatia, where this species can even be dominant (Koren et al. 2010). After finding this population, we continued searching the area around Lake Buško, but were unable to find additional suitable habitat or additional specimens of P. afra damiata. As it seems that there is no continuous karst habitat between Dobrici village and the nearest locations in Croatia (e.g. Dinara and Kamešnica), it is possible that the newly discovered population is isolated.
Still, we can probably assume that it will be also recorded on other locations in Bosnia, especially in the mountains near the border with Croatia, especially on Mt Kamešnica and Mt Dinara. We would like to encourage the Bosnian entomologists to continue searching for additional populations of P. afra dalmata in Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to gain better knowledge about the distribution and status of this species in their country. This is the 191st species recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
References
Apfelbeck V. (1982): Till now observed species of Rophalocera (Butterflies) in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Glasnik Zemaljskog Muzeja 2: 192-194. (In Serbian)
Jakšic P. (1993): The M. Rogulja collection of the Rhopalocera (Lepidoptera) from the former state of Yugoslavia. Entomologist's Gazette 44: 85-95.
Koren T., Buric I., Štih A., Zakšek V., Verovnik R. (2010): New data about the distribution and flying altitude of Dalmatian Ringlet, Proterebia afra dalmata (GODART, [1824]) (Lepidoptera, Satyrinae) in Croatia. Acta Entomologica Slovenica 18(2): 143-150.
Lelo S. (2000): Revised inventory of the butterflies of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea, Papilionidea). Natura Croatica 9(2): 139-156.
Lelo S. (2004): Revizija Rebelovog popisa leptira Bosne i Hercegovine. Coron's Sarajevo, pp. 295.
Lelo S. (2005-2007): Fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Biosystematic reviews. Prvo, drugo (izmjenjeno i dopunjeno) i trece izdanje. Udruženje za inventarizaciju i zaštitu životinja, Ilijaš, Kanton Sarajevo, 403 pp.
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Figures 1 and 2. Distribution of P. afra dalmata in Croatia with location of the newly discovered site in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sliki 1 in 2. Razširjenost vrste P. afra dalmata na Hrvaškem z lokacijo novega odkritega najdišča v Bosni in Hercegovini.