FIRST STUDY OF THE BUTTERFLIES (LEPIDOPTERA: PAPILIONOIDEA) OF MT. MUČANJ

Mučanj is a mountain located in western Serbia, surrounded by three rivers: the Grabovica, Presečka reka and Veliki Rzav. The nearest mountains are Javor and Golija and the closest town is Ivanjica. In entomological terms it is virtually unexplored. The authors visited it on several occasions from 2008 to 2011 and provide here a first overview of its butterfly fauna. During this period a total number of 111 species was recorded – Hesperiidae 14, Papilionidae 3, Pieridae 12, Riodinidae 1, Lycaenidae 30, Nymphalidae 51. This number will certainly increase with future studies, but even now proves this mountain has exceptional butterfly diversity. Among the species discovered, Colias caucasica Staudinger, 1871 requires special attention, for it was previously known in Serbia only from Mt. Kopaonik. Important populations of some rare butterflies were found, like Coenonympha orientalis Rebel 1910 and Polyommatus eros (Ochsenheimer 1808)