NEW LOCALITIES FOR RARE BUTTERFLIES MUSCHAMPIA
CRIBRELLUM AND MELITAEA ORNATA (LEPIDOPTERA:
HESPERIIDAE, NYMPHALIDAE) IN SERBIA
Mihailo Vu jić , Milan Dju r ić , ivan To T
HabiProt, Cankareva 9/13, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia, 
e-mails: mihailovujic01@gmail.com; milandju8@gmail.com; ivan@habiprot.org.rs
Abstract – During project related field survey, performed from 9
th
to 13
th
of May,
2020, in southeastern Serbia, two rare butterfly species were registered at locality
izvor, at r udina planina Mt. – Melitaea ornata and Muschampia cribrellum. New
records of these species and confirmation of M. ornata at locality Šaprance suggest
huge potential and invite further faunistic research in southeastern Serbia.
Ke y w o r DS: Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae, Nymphalidae, fauna, Serbia
Izvleček – No VA NAjDiŠČA r e DKiH Me Tu Lje V MUSCHAMPIA CRIBREL-
LUM iN MELITAEA ORNATA (Le PiDo PTe r A: He SPe r iiDAe , Ny MPHALi-
DAe ) V Sr Biji
Med terenskimi raziskavami povezanimi s projektom, ki so potekale od 9. do 13.
maja 2020 v jugovzhodni Srbiji, smo na najdišču izvor na r udini planini našli dve
redki vrsti metuljev – Melitaea ornata in Muschampia cribrellum. Nove najdbe teh
vrst in potrditev vrste  M. ornata na najdišču Šaprance kažejo na velik potencial in
vabijo k nadaljnim favnističnim raziskavam v jugovzhodni Srbiji.
KLju ČNe Be Se De : Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae, Nymphalidae, favna, Srbija
At locality izvor, on r udina planina Mt. in southeastern Serbia (42.513227 N
22.519799 e , 954 m.a.s.l.), we recorded two rare butterfly species – Melitaea ornata
Christoph, 1893 and Muschampia cribrellum (e versmann, 1841).
Spinose skipper (Muschampia cribrellum) is a rare and local species from family
Hesperiidae. its range includes large part of Asia and only small part of e urope, and
its presence was confirmed from r omania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Serbia.
(Tolman & Lewington 2008; Dincă et al. 2010; Haahtela et al. 2011). in Bulgaria
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and North Macedonia, this species was registered at several dry steppe-like localities,
similar to that in Serbia (Dincă et al. 2010). The species was found in Serbia only re-
cently, and thus far was recorded only from few localities in Stara Planina Mt.
(Popović et al. 2013). New record from izvor village at r udina Planina Mt. is also
the southernmost point of its distribution in Serbia.
Acta entomologica slovenica, 28 (2), 2020
160
Figure 1. Melitaea ornata, Šaprance village: 10.05.2020. (photo: M. Djurić).

e astern Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea ornata) is a rare and local species of
butterfly from family Nymphalidae whose distribution in e urope is not well understood
due to confusion with similar species Melitaea phoebe (Denis & Schiffermüller,
1775), but also because certain authors ignore its presence in e urope (r ussell & Ten-
nent 2016). The most reliable method for identification of this species is observation
of caterpillars, since they have red head, unlike congenial species M. phoebe whose
caterpillars have black head. The other possibility is to perform DNA analysis. r ussel
et al. (2014) also described a potential hybridization of these species. Although the
range of M. ornata isn’t well known, this species is registered in many e uropean
countries, including Balkan Peninsula. This species was registered both in Bulgaria
and North Macedonia, which are closest records to the localities in Serbia (r ussel &
Pateman 2019).
Melitaea ornata Christoph, 1893
Literature records: Stara Planina Mt. (jakšić 2011), record very dubious (r ussell
& Tennent 2016); Stara Planina Mt. (r ussell, pers. comm.); Trgovište, Šaprance
(Popović & Verovnik 2018).
Mihailo Vujiå, Milan Djuriå, Ivan Tot: New localities for rare butterflies Muschampia cribrellum and Melitaea ornata
161
Figure 2. - Melitaea ornata, izvor village, 12.5.2020. (A-B); Muschampia cribrel-
lum, izvor village, 12.5.2020. (C-D) (photos: i. Tot).

New records: 12.05.2020, izvor village, leg. Tot i. & Vujić M. (Figure 2 A-B);
The species has been confirmed in already known locality close to Šaprance village:
10.05.2020, leg. Djurić M. (Figure 1).
Muschampia cribrellum (e versmann, 1841)
Literature records: Dimitrovgrad, Vidlič Mt. (Dincã et al. 2010) This publication
includes the first record for Serbia, leg. Dodok i., 17.05.2007.; Stara Planina Mt., vil-
lages Dojkinci, Gornji Krivodol (Popović et al. 2013; Popović & Djurić 2014; Beshkov
2017).
o nline databases: a few records on Stara Planina Mt., villages r sovci, Dojkinci,
Gornji Krivodol (Miljević & Djurić 2014–2020; Popović et al. 2020), Svrljiške
planine (Popović et al. 2020)
New record: 12.05.2020, izvor village. leg. Vujić M. (Figure 2 C-D).
Notes
New records extended the known distribution of both mentioned species. For M.
cribrellum this is the southernmost record in Serbia that substantially extends its
known distribution towards south and connects localities at Stara Planina and North
Macedonia. For M. ornata this is the easternmost record in Serbia, although this
species is probably much more widespread in Bulgaria and Serbia (Figure 3 A). in
both cases for Serbia these are earliest records in the season.
Conclusion
in just a few field days spent in southeast Serbia a lot of rare butterflies and other
insects were recorded. Among them special attention deserve rare and extremely
Acta entomologica slovenica, 28 (2), 2020
162
Figure 3. The distribution map of Melitaea ornata and Muschampia cribrellum
in Serbia (A) and habitat of both mentioned species at r udina Planina Mt., izvor
village (B) (photo: M. Vujić).

local species, such as Melitaea ornata and Muschampia cribrellum, so far known
just from a few localities in the country. New records of these species and confirmation
of M. ornata at locality Šaprance undoubtedly suggest huge potential and invite
further insect research in southeast Serbia. Among visited localities special attention
deserves izvor village at r udina Planina Mt. (Figure 3 B), due to existence of inter-
esting habitats where many rare species were registered, inter alia M. ornata and M.
cribrellum. 
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Received / Prejeto: 19. 5. 2020
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