FIRST RECORD OF ANTHOCHARIS DAMONE BOISDUVAL, 1836 IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA WITH A SIGNIFICANT RANGE EXTENSION IN SERBIA (LEPIDOPTERA: PIERIDAE)
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Jul 23, 2026
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Abstract
Anthocharis damone Boisduval, 1836 is a rare Ponto-Mediterranean butterfly with a fragmented distribution and high conservation priority. This study presents new data that significantly expand the known range of the species at its northern limit. We report new localities in western Serbia (Uvac Gorge, Mt. Zlatibor) and provide the first documented records for Bosnia and Herzegovina (Cikote and Masali villages). Field surveys conducted between 2023 and 2025 confirmed breeding populations through the observation of all life stages. All new records were strictly limited to xeric, south-facing slopes on ophiolitic substrates, despite the widespread availability of the host plant, Isatis tinctoria L., on other geological formations. Our findings suggest that the Drina River drainage basin serves as an important population stronghold. Given its endangered status in Europe, these newly discovered populations warrant a reassessment of regional conservation priorities and highlight the role of ophiolite massifs as thermal refugia for xerothermic species at high latitudes.
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Stojanović, I., Kulijer, D., Dukić, B., Šašić, M., Koren, T., Verovnik, R., & Popović, M. (2026). FIRST RECORD OF ANTHOCHARIS DAMONE BOISDUVAL, 1836 IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA WITH A SIGNIFICANT RANGE EXTENSION IN SERBIA (LEPIDOPTERA: PIERIDAE). Acta Entomologica Serbica, 31(1), 47-56. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20817690
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Copyright: © 2019 The ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF SERBIA Staff. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
References
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Hall, K., Lindgren, B. S., & Jackson, P. (2005). Rock albedo and monitoring of thermal conditions in respect of weathering: Some expected and some unexpected results. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 30(7), 801-811. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1189
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Krpach, V. (2024). Revised list of strictly protected insects (Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera and Diptera) species in North Macedonia. International Journal of Sciences, Environment and Technology, 4, 71-92. https://doi.org/10.62792/ut.ecotec.v4.i7-8.p2853
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MacArthur, R. H., & Wilson, E. O. (1967). The Theory of Island Biogeography. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt19cc1t2
Micevski, N., Franeta, F., Gascoigne-Pees, M., Micevski, B., & Verovnik, R. (2015). Butterfly surveys in Albania during 2014 including the discovery of two new species for the country. Ecologica Montenegrina, 3, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2015.3.1
Moradinour, Z., Wiklund, C., Miettinen, A., Gérard, M., & Baird, E. (2023). Exposure to elevated temperature during development affects eclosion and morphology in the temperate Pieris napi butterfly (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Journal of Thermal Biology, 118, 103721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103721
Naderi, A., Back, W., Scalercio, S., & Nazari, V. (2025). Higher phylogeny of Orange Tips (Anthocharis) with a focus on population structure in A. damone (Lepidoptera, Pieridae). Ecologica Montenegrina, 83, 74-91. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2025.83.8
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Nirta, G., Bortolotti, V., Chiari, M., Menna, F., Saccani, E., Principi, G., & Vannucchi, P. (2010). Ophiolites from the Grammos-Arrenes area, northern Greece: Geological, paleontological and geochemical data. Ofioliti, 35(2), 103-115. https://doi.org/10.4454/ofioliti.v35i2.389
Pamperis, L. N. (2009). The Butterflies of Greece. Athens: Editions Pamperis, 1-766.
Plissart, G., Monnier, C., Diot, H., Mărunţiu, M., Berger, J., & Triantafyllou, A. (2017). Petrology, geochemistry and Sm-Nd analyses on the Balkan-Carpathian Ophiolite (BCO - Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria): Remnants of a Devonian back-arc basin in the easternmost part of the Variscan domain. Journal of Geodynamics, 105, 27-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jog.2017.01.001
Popović, M., & Milenković, M. (2012). First record of Anthocharis gruneri for Serbia (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Phegea, 40, 37-38.
Popović, M., Trajković, A., Radišić, D., Miličić, M., Franeta, F., Janković Milosavljević, M., Medenica, I., Stojanović, I., Ilić, M., Šašić, M., & Verovnik, R. (in press). Red Data Book of Fauna of Serbia VIII - Butterflies (M. Popović, Ed.). University of Belgrade, Biological Faculty, Institute for Nature Conservation of Republic of Serbia, University of Niš, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics.
Popović, M., Vasić, N., Koren, T., Burić, I., Živanović, N., Kulijer, D., & Golubović, A. (2020). Biologer: An open platform for collecting biodiversity data. Biodiversity Data Journal, 8, e53014. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.8.e53014
Prendi, M., Paparisto, A., & Cuvelier, S. (2023). Proterebia phegea (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae): Building bridges between the relic populations of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, and a new record from northern Albania. Phegea, 51(2), 59-64. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.22722754
Sachanowicz, K., Łuczkowski, S., & Larysz, A. (2016). State of knowledge of butterfly fauna of Albania, with three new species for the country. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 68(4), 511-518.
Schaider, P., & Jakšić, P. (1989). Die Tagfalter von jugoslawisch Mazedonien Diurna (Rhopalocera und Hesperiidae). München: Selbstverlag P. Schaider, 1-82 + 46 plates + 199 distribution maps.
Thomas, C. D., Thomas, J. A., & Warren, M. S. (1992). Distributions of occupied and vacant butterfly habitats in fragmented landscapes. Oecologia, 92(4), 563-567. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317850
Tolman, T., & Bernhard, T. (1994). Significant extensions to the known range of Anthocharis damone Boisduval, 1836 in Greece (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Phegea, 22(4), 177-180.
Tolman, T., & Lewington, R. (2008). Collins Butterfly Guide: The Most Complete Guide to the Butterflies of Britain and Europe. London: HarperCollins Publishers, 1-384.
Tshikolovets, V. V. (2011). Butterflies of Europe & the Mediterranean Area. Pardubice: Tshikolovets Publications, 1-544.
Van Swaay, C., Warren, M., Ellis, S., Clay, J., Bellotto, V., Allen, D., & Trottet, A. (2025). European red list of butterflies. Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2779/935927
Verovnik, R., & Verovnik, J. (2022). First record of Proterebia phegea (Lepidoptera: Satyrinae) from Albania. Natura Croatica, 31(1), 115-120. https://doi.org/10.20302/NC.2022.31.10
Vukajlović, F. N., Reljić, K., Kostić, M., & Vojnović, B. (2025). The southern swallowtail, Papilio alexanor Esper, 1800 (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae): New butterfly species for the fauna of Serbia. Kragujevac Journal of Science, 47(1), 111-119. https://doi.org/10.5937/KgJSci2501111V
Yılmaz, A., & Yılmaz, H. (2013). Ophiolites and ophiolitic mélanges of Turkey: A review. Türkiye Jeoloji Bülteni, 56(2), 61-114. https://izlik.org/JA68PH92TE
Chiari, M., Djerić, N., Garfagnoli, F., Hrvatović, H., Krstić, M., Levi, N., Malasoma, A., Marroni, M., Menna, F., Nirta, G., Pandolfi, L., Principi, G., Saccani, E., Stojadinović, U., & Trivić, B. (2011). The geology of the Zlatibor-Maljen area (western Serbia): A geotraverse across the ophiolites of the Dinaric-Hellenic collisional belt. Ofioliti, 36(2), 139-166. https://doi.org/10.4454/ofioliti.v36i2.399
Drndić, E., Radevski, D., Miljevic, M., Duric, M., & Popovic, M. (2017). Description of recent discovery of Anthocharis damone Boisduval, 1836 in Serbia and its distribution in Europe (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterología, 45(177), 23-29. https://doi.org/10.57065/shilap.967
Hall, K., Lindgren, B. S., & Jackson, P. (2005). Rock albedo and monitoring of thermal conditions in respect of weathering: Some expected and some unexpected results. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 30(7), 801-811. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1189
Jutzeler, D., Bollino, M., Russo, L., & Sala, G. (1998). Études sur Anthocaris damone (Boisduval, 1836) et Euchloe ausonia (Hübner, 1804) de l’Italie méridionale (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Linneana Belgica, 16, 227-235.
Klečková, I., Konvička, M., & Klečka, J. (2014). Thermoregulation and microhabitat use in mountain butterflies of the genus Erebia: Importance of fine-scale habitat heterogeneity. Journal of Thermal Biology, 41, 50-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2014.02.002
Krpach, V. (2024). Revised list of strictly protected insects (Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera and Diptera) species in North Macedonia. International Journal of Sciences, Environment and Technology, 4, 71-92. https://doi.org/10.62792/ut.ecotec.v4.i7-8.p2853
Lesica, P., & Allendorf, F. W. (1995). When Are Peripheral Populations Valuable for Conservation? Conservation Biology, 9(4), 753-760. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1739.1995.09040753.x
MacArthur, R. H., & Wilson, E. O. (1967). The Theory of Island Biogeography. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt19cc1t2
Micevski, N., Franeta, F., Gascoigne-Pees, M., Micevski, B., & Verovnik, R. (2015). Butterfly surveys in Albania during 2014 including the discovery of two new species for the country. Ecologica Montenegrina, 3, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2015.3.1
Moradinour, Z., Wiklund, C., Miettinen, A., Gérard, M., & Baird, E. (2023). Exposure to elevated temperature during development affects eclosion and morphology in the temperate Pieris napi butterfly (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Journal of Thermal Biology, 118, 103721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103721
Naderi, A., Back, W., Scalercio, S., & Nazari, V. (2025). Higher phylogeny of Orange Tips (Anthocharis) with a focus on population structure in A. damone (Lepidoptera, Pieridae). Ecologica Montenegrina, 83, 74-91. https://doi.org/10.37828/em.2025.83.8
Nekrutenko, Yu. P. (1990). Dnevnye babochki Kavkaza: Semeystva Papilionidae, Pieridae, Satyridae, Danaidae. Opredelitel’. Kiev: Naukova Dumka. [in Russian]
Nirta, G., Bortolotti, V., Chiari, M., Menna, F., Saccani, E., Principi, G., & Vannucchi, P. (2010). Ophiolites from the Grammos-Arrenes area, northern Greece: Geological, paleontological and geochemical data. Ofioliti, 35(2), 103-115. https://doi.org/10.4454/ofioliti.v35i2.389
Pamperis, L. N. (2009). The Butterflies of Greece. Athens: Editions Pamperis, 1-766.
Plissart, G., Monnier, C., Diot, H., Mărunţiu, M., Berger, J., & Triantafyllou, A. (2017). Petrology, geochemistry and Sm-Nd analyses on the Balkan-Carpathian Ophiolite (BCO - Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria): Remnants of a Devonian back-arc basin in the easternmost part of the Variscan domain. Journal of Geodynamics, 105, 27-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jog.2017.01.001
Popović, M., & Milenković, M. (2012). First record of Anthocharis gruneri for Serbia (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Phegea, 40, 37-38.
Popović, M., Trajković, A., Radišić, D., Miličić, M., Franeta, F., Janković Milosavljević, M., Medenica, I., Stojanović, I., Ilić, M., Šašić, M., & Verovnik, R. (in press). Red Data Book of Fauna of Serbia VIII - Butterflies (M. Popović, Ed.). University of Belgrade, Biological Faculty, Institute for Nature Conservation of Republic of Serbia, University of Niš, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics.
Popović, M., Vasić, N., Koren, T., Burić, I., Živanović, N., Kulijer, D., & Golubović, A. (2020). Biologer: An open platform for collecting biodiversity data. Biodiversity Data Journal, 8, e53014. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.8.e53014
Prendi, M., Paparisto, A., & Cuvelier, S. (2023). Proterebia phegea (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae): Building bridges between the relic populations of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, and a new record from northern Albania. Phegea, 51(2), 59-64. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.22722754
Sachanowicz, K., Łuczkowski, S., & Larysz, A. (2016). State of knowledge of butterfly fauna of Albania, with three new species for the country. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 68(4), 511-518.
Schaider, P., & Jakšić, P. (1989). Die Tagfalter von jugoslawisch Mazedonien Diurna (Rhopalocera und Hesperiidae). München: Selbstverlag P. Schaider, 1-82 + 46 plates + 199 distribution maps.
Thomas, C. D., Thomas, J. A., & Warren, M. S. (1992). Distributions of occupied and vacant butterfly habitats in fragmented landscapes. Oecologia, 92(4), 563-567. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317850
Tolman, T., & Bernhard, T. (1994). Significant extensions to the known range of Anthocharis damone Boisduval, 1836 in Greece (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Phegea, 22(4), 177-180.
Tolman, T., & Lewington, R. (2008). Collins Butterfly Guide: The Most Complete Guide to the Butterflies of Britain and Europe. London: HarperCollins Publishers, 1-384.
Tshikolovets, V. V. (2011). Butterflies of Europe & the Mediterranean Area. Pardubice: Tshikolovets Publications, 1-544.
Van Swaay, C., Warren, M., Ellis, S., Clay, J., Bellotto, V., Allen, D., & Trottet, A. (2025). European red list of butterflies. Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2779/935927
Verovnik, R., & Verovnik, J. (2022). First record of Proterebia phegea (Lepidoptera: Satyrinae) from Albania. Natura Croatica, 31(1), 115-120. https://doi.org/10.20302/NC.2022.31.10
Vukajlović, F. N., Reljić, K., Kostić, M., & Vojnović, B. (2025). The southern swallowtail, Papilio alexanor Esper, 1800 (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae): New butterfly species for the fauna of Serbia. Kragujevac Journal of Science, 47(1), 111-119. https://doi.org/10.5937/KgJSci2501111V
Yılmaz, A., & Yılmaz, H. (2013). Ophiolites and ophiolitic mélanges of Turkey: A review. Türkiye Jeoloji Bülteni, 56(2), 61-114. https://izlik.org/JA68PH92TE