Exploration of Mount Žeden and discovery of Proterebia phegea (Borkhausen, 1788), a new species for the Fauna of North Macedonia. Brief summary of current knowledge on Proterebia phegea.

The butterfly species Proterebia phegea (Borkhausen, 1788), previously unrecorded in North Macedonia, was discovered during field surveys on Mount Žeden in April 2025. This finding extends the known range of the species in the Balkan Peninsula, which includes populations in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Greece. Mount Žeden, located approximately 20 km west of Skopje, is characterised by a continental Mediterranean climate and diverse karstic topography, providing a unique habitat for various butterfly species. The discovery of P. phegea on Mount Žeden contributes to the understanding of the species' distribution and highlights the importance of this area for butterfly conservation.