Comparison of butterfly diversity (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of the Pčinja and Preševo valleys (South Serbia)

Due to the influence of the Mediterranean climate from the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula, the southernmost regions, the Pčinja and Preševo valleys, are the warmest in Serbia. This warm sub-Mediterranean climate affects the area's specific animal diversity, particularly contributing to a unique butterfly diversity. Based on the available literature data and our surveys of butterfly diversity in these two valleys since 2005, 144 butterfly species and three species complexes were recorded, corresponding to 74.13% of all butterfly species recorded in Serbia. In the Pčinja Valley, 138 species and three species complexes were recorded, while 112 species and three species complexes were recorded in the Preševo Valley. Six of the recorded species are listed in Annex II and/or IV of the EU Habitats Directive, while 27 are strictly protected in Serbia.