Biodiversity, a tool and resource for supporting the development of regional management and sustainable development plans. Case Study: The Superfamily Papilionoidea (Order Lepidoptera) in the Pogradec Region.

Biodiversity is a key component of natural heritage, which should play an important role in the process of developing regional plans for sustainable management and development. This study focuses on the biodiversity of the Papilionoidea superfamily (Order Lepidoptera) in the Pogradec region and aims to show how the knowledge and distribution of species diversity can contribute to the development of policies and plans that support nature conservation and sustainable tourism. The Pogradec region, with an area of around 594 km², is an area of significant importance for biodiversity in Albania, where 132 butterfly species from 6 families, part of the Papilionoidea superfamily, have been historically identified.New observations from 2024 confirmed the presence of 19 butterfly species, representing 14% of the historical data, including a new species, Thymelicus sylvestris (Poda, 1761). The number of species collected during this field trip is low compared to the biodiversity of the areas, as the trip was focused only on lower altitudes. The altitude at which the material was collected is a limiting factor for the range of species observed. We expect the number of species to be higher at higher altitudes, but this monitoring will be the focus of next year's study. Butterflies, as bio-indicators of the environment, help in identifying natural habitats and can serve as a reference point for the development of sustainable tourism. Observing butterflies as part of activities related to ecotourism can bring economic opportunities to local communities, contributing to sustainable development and the preservation of biodiversity.