Where the sky touches the slopes: critical insights into the butterfly biodiversity of Tomorri Mountain.

The Tomorri Mountain in central Albania, with steep limestone ridges, forests, and high-altitude meadows, harbors a rich butterfly fauna. Elevations above 2,400 m create diverse habitats supporting both widespread and regionally rare species. Field surveys from 2017–2024 added five new species and confirmed 30 previously recorded, totaling 94 species across six families. Notably, Erebia gorge (Hübner, [1804]) was recorded at 14 sites, the only known southern Albanian locality, and Driopa mnemosyne (Linnaeus, 1758), a Near Threatened species, was reconfirmed. Thirteen species of national or global conservation concern, ten showing declining trends, emphasize the area’s ecological importance. Some historically reported species were absent, possibly due to data gaps or population declines. These results underscore the need for systematic long-term monitoring and targeted conservation to safeguard Tomorri’s unique butterfly assemblages.