Faunistic study of butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea) of Sulaymaniyah Province, Kurdistan-Iraq

This study investigates the butterfly fauna (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea) of Sulaymaniyah Province, in Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Investigations were carried out between April 2016 and April 2021, during which butterfly specimens were collected from 34 different localities throughout Sulaymaniyah Province. The collected butterflies belonged to 103 species within five families: five species of Papilionidae, 19 species of Hesperiidae, 18 species of Pieridae, 25 species of Lycaenidae and 36 species of Nymphalidae.Eight species, Carcharodus stauderi Reverdin, 1913, Thymelicus hyrax Lederer, 1861, Gonepteryx rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758) Pieris krueperi Staudinger, 1860, Colias erate Esper, 1803, Polyommatus thersites (Cantener, 1835), Brenthis mofidii Wyatt, 1968 and Pseudochazara mamurra Herrich-Schäffer, 1852 have been added as new records to the fauna of Iraqi butterflies