Slovenian Butterflies 2 Field Guide Field f Guide or f butt or erfly butt iden erfly tific iden a tific tion a The European Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (eBMS) aims to collect data to promote the monitoring and conservation of this group of insects. The eBMS network relies on thousands of volunteers who systematically collect field data following a defined methodology. This Field Guide aims to facilitate the task of field identification of 63 species of butterflies that are difficult to identify, and includes 37 species that serve for comparison and to facilitate identification. This guide also serves as a support tool for those involved in the monitoring of butterflies through the methodologies standardized by eBMS for all of Europe. This field guide can be found and download on the eBMS website: www.butterfly-monitoring.net/field-guides Counting butterflies will help to protect them! Butterflies of Slovenia The species diversity of butterflies in Slovenia is extremely high in relation to the area of the country. A total of 181 species of butterflies live in Slovenia. The easily recognisable and widespread species of butterflies that can be found almost everywhere, including in the home garden, are presented in the Basic Field Guide Butterflies of Slovenia 1. However, some species are highly specialised and are found only in certain parts of the country. A typical example of such species are, for example, butterflies of the genus Erebia, most of which can only be found in the higher elevations of the country (Alps, Pohorje, Nanos, etc.). Certain species are also extremely similar to each other, which makes their differentiation or identification more difficult. Most of these butterflies are included in this brochure, which presents 63 species of butterflies that are more difficult to identify or more restricted in their distribution in Slovenia. However, 37 species that are already included in the basic Field Guide have also been added to facilitate the identification of similar species. Monitoring of butterflies The transect count method is used to monitor the status of butterflies. More information on the transect count method can be found in the Basic Field Guide Butterflies of Slovenia 1. If you would like to join the butterfly monitoring and carry out censuses on your transect, please visit www.butterfly-monitoring.net or the website of the Society for the Study and Conservation of Butterflies of Slovenia www.facebook.com/metulji where you can contact us. How to use this Field Guide? This field guide presents 63 species of butterflies that are difficult to identify or locally widespread, and 37 species that are easier to identify and more common, for comparison and to facilitate identification. The species are arranged by family and together with similar species to facilitate butterfly identification. In most species is shown the upper and lower wing, while in species with a pro-nounced sexual ambiguity, males and females are shown separately. Each species is named with its English and scientific name, where the names of those species that are included in the Field Guide Butterflies of Slovenia 1 are coloured in red. In addition, for each species you can also see in which months it occurs in Slovenia, the size category (small, medium, large) and the threat level of the species. The signs to look out for when identifying butterflies are highlighted and labelled alongside the pictures of the butterflies. 2 Certain species of butterflies have a very easily recognisable colour pattern on their wings and are therefore virtually impossible to confuse with any other species. Most of these species are presented in the Basic Field Guide Butterflies of Slovenia 1. However, other species that are very similar to each other and difficult to distinguish at first glance. For this reason, we have to be very careful when identifying butterflies, because for some species we have to check several different identifying characters. Sometimes the butterfly is damaged or the wing pattern is faded, which can also make identification difficult. As butterflies fly, they lose the scales that give them their distinctive colours and patterns. In some cases, identification to species level is not possible. HAIR black spots S white with white TRE W-shaped line border AK - LYCAENID Brown Hairstreak White-letter Hairstreak Black Hairstreak Thecla betulae Satyrium w-album Satyrium pruni J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D AE small white line dashed, silvery-blue red spots smaller spot great silver and darker blue dot Blue Spot Hairstreak Ilex Hairstreak Sloe Hairstreak Satyrium spini Satyrium ilicis Satyrium acaciae J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D wavy white lines broad white band Geranium bronze Lang’s Short-tailed Blue Long-tailed Blue Cacyreus marshalli Leptotes pirithous Lampides boeticus J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D 3 SUE - BLAE Small Blue Short-tailed Blue Provenzal Short-tailed Blue Cupido minimus Cupido argiades Cupido alcetas LYCAENID J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D without dot Osiris Blue E Chapman’s Blue E Alpine Blue Cupido osiris Polyommatus thersites Agriades orbitulus J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D characteristic dot 90° angle Amanda’s Blue Common Blue Polyommatus amandus Polyommatus icarus J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D large black dots without dot serrated edge Turquoise Blue Escher's blue V Meleager’s Blue V Polyommatus dorylas Polyommatus escheri Polyommatus daphnis J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D 4 BLUES - LYCAENID Iolas Blue E Large Blue V Scarce Large Blue V Iolana iolas Phengaris arion Phengaris teleius AE J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D Mazarine Blue Dusky Large Blue V Alcon Blue E Cyaniris semiargus Phengaris nausithous Phengaris alcon J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D two dots together without dot reduced red spots Brown Argus Mountain Argus Geranium Argus V Aricia agestis Aricia artaxerxes Eumedonia eumedon J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D wide narrow narrow edge edge edge red marks extends to the edge distinct white blue arrows, eyes pointed black triangles Silver Studded Blue Idas Blue V Reverdin’s Blue V Plebejus argus Plebejus idas Plebejus argyrognomon J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D 5 S - WHITEAE Pale/Berger’s Clouded Yellow Clouded Yellow PIERID Colias hyale/alfacariensis Colias crocea J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D apical spot elongated to the pointed wing tip black spot on the wing thickened dark veins Fenton’s Wood White V Real’s/Cryptic Wood White Green Veined White Leptidea morsei Leptidea sinapis/juvernica Pieris napi J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D dark spot shorter and slightly diffuse Mountain Green Veined White Small White Pieris bryoniae Pieris rapae J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D dark longer spot dark and slightly diffuse square spot quadrangular or concave spot Shouthern Small White V Mountain Small White V Pieris mannii Pieris ergane J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D 6 antennae tips hooked SKIPPER white spots distinct S The spots on the - HE hind wing are lighter underside not white of the wings SPERIID Mallow Skipper V Marbled Skipper E Tufted Marbled Skipper E Carcharodus alceae Carcharodus lavatherae Carcharodus floccifera J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D AE three spots in line two arrow- two mirror shaped spots spots narrow white two white spots one white spot spots Safflower Skipper V Grizzled Skipper Obethur’s Grizzled Skipper V Pyrgus carthami Pyrgus malvae Pyrgus armoricanus J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D four spots in line basal spot round blurred white spots Olive Skipper Large Grizzled Skipper V Red Underwing Skipper V Pyrgus serratulae Pyrgus alveus Spialia sertorius J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D red crescent- black tip tip antenna shaped antenna bright spots Essex Skipper Small Skipper Lulworth Skipper V Thymelicus lineola Thymelicus sylvestris Thymelicus acteon J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D 7 S TTERFLIE BUT Silver Washed Fritillary Niobe Fritillary High Brown Fritillary TED Argynnis paphia Fabriciana niobe Fabriciana adippe J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D -FOO - FOURAE Small Pearl Bordered V Fritillary Pearl Bordered Fritillary Shepherd’s Fritillary Boloria selene Boloria euphrosyne Boloria pales NYMPHALID J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D white c Thor’s Fritillary Titania’s Fritillary Comma Boloria thore Boloria titania Polygonia c-album J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D distinct black line Large Wall Brown Northern Wall Brown Southern Comma E Lasiommata maera Lasiommata petropolitana Polygonia egea J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D 8 FOUR -FOO TED without distinct distinct light light markings markings present BUT Asian Fritillary Scarce Fritillary V Marsh Fritillary V Euphydryas intermedia Euphydryas maturna Euphydryas aurinia T J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D TERFLIE darker outer edge S - NYMPHALID darker outer lighter red edge black outer hairs hairs edge Nickerl’s Fritillary V Assmann’s Fritillary V Heath Fritillary Melitaea aurelia Melitaea britomartis Melitaea athalia AE J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D darker outer edge, dark spots in the moons black spots on the red bacground light spots in the dark margin Lesser Spotted Fritillary V Spotted Fritillary False Heath Fritillary V Melitaea trivia Melitaea didyma Melitaea diamina J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D elongated yellow cell the edge line not closed Knapweed Fritillary Eastern Knapweed Fritillary Melitaea phoebe Melitaea ornata J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D 9 S TTERFLIE BUT Woodland Grayling Grayling V Great Banded Grayling Hipparchia fagi Hipparchia semele Brintesia circe TED J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D -FOO all ocelli out of the white band; upper ocellus on - FOUR the basal AE side of the white band Large Heath E False Ringlet E Pearly Heath Coenonympha tullia Coenonympha oedippus Coenonympha arcania J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D NYMPHALID all ocelli on the outer side of only on the white band Nanos thin orange line Alpine Ringlet Chestnut Heath Black Ringlet Coenonympha gardetta Coenonympha glycerion Erebia melas J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D white spots inside the ocelli small white spots white spots in- side ocelli barely noticable Arran Brown Large Ringlet Scotch Argus Erebia ligea Erebia euryale Erebia aethiops J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D 10 FOUR -FOO light spots unevenly without red spots TED shaped the red without spots ocelli BUT Yellow Spotted Ringlet Mountain Ringlet Blind Ringlet Erebia manto Erebia epiphron Erebia pharte T J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D TERFLIE only in Triglav mountain range S - NYMPHALID mettalic dark marbled glare present underside Sooty Ringlet Silky Ringlet Lorkovic’s Brassy Ringlet Erebia pluto Erebia gorge Erebia calcaria AE J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D red field in s1b cell without a black red field in notch band s1b cell with a notch Water Ringlet Styrian Ringlet Stygian Ringlet Erebia pronoe Erebia stiria Erebia styx J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D orange black antenna antenna tips tips Woodland Ringlet Bright Eyed Ringlet Dewy Ringlet Erebia medusa Erebia oeme Erebia pandrose J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D 11 The European Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (eBMS) has been initiated by Butterfly Conservation Europe (BCE) and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH)). All countries participating in this monitoring of the status of butterfly populations share the data obtained by the transect counting method on an annual basis. These data are used to calculate population trends of European butterfly species and the Grassland Butterfly Species Indicator, which provide an expert basis for further action to protect butterflies and their habitats. For more information on the European Butterfly Day Monitoring, visit the website: www.butterfly-monitoring.net. If you would like to join the butterfly census in Slovenia, please contact the Association for the Study and Conservation of Butterflies of Slovenia (DPOMS): info.metulji@gmail.com, www.facebook.com/metulji. DPOMS is made up of individuals who share an interest in butterflies. We are concerned with butterflies in Slovenia, especially their distribution and ecology, and also with the promotion of butterflies among the general public. You are welcome to join us! This field guide was produced under the European project Conservation status in Slovenia (Red List): SPRING (Strengthening Pollinator Recovery through INdicators and monitorinG) from the DG-Environment. V vulnerable species E endangered species Authors: Luka Šturm (University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical rare species faculty), Cristina G. Sevilleja (Dutch Butterfly Conservation), The names of butterflies that appear in the first dr. Rudi Verovnik (University of Ljubljana) and Barbara Zakšek guide (Field Guide Slovenia 1) are coloured red. (Center for Cartography of Fauna and Flora, CKFF). Flight period: month when butterflies are seen Photos: Luka Šturm, dr. Rudi Verovnik, Barbara Zakšek, Pri-J F M A M J J A S O N D mož Glogovčan in Nika Kogovšek; Paolo Mazzei, Marco Bon-ifacino, Raniero Panfili and Daniel Morel (www.leps.it); Iza-Butterfly size: bella Dziekanska, Marcin Sielezniew, Albert Vliegenthart and Small Medium Big Chris van Swaay. Sex: Graphic designer: Cristina G. Sevilleja Female Male Publisher: Society for the Study and Conservation of Butterflies of Slovenia, 2023. Electronic edition Symbols: Specific characteristics to eBMS - European Butterfly Monitoring Scheme identify the specific species Kataložni zapis o publikaciji (CIP) pripravili v Narodni in univerzitetni knjižnjici v Ljubljani COBISS.SI-ID 139588611 ISBN 978-961--95310-3-7 (PDF)