Assessing the conservation status of diurnal Lepidoptera in the Vesuvius National Park

The conservation status of the species collected and observed in the Vesuvius National Park (VNP) and included in the Red List of Italian butterflies has not been monitored for 17 years; therefore, there is currently no knowledge of how the biodiversity and populations of Rhopalocera have changed over these years. A list of 72 species of Lepidoptera with diurnal behaviour is reported. Five species are mentioned for the first time for the Park. Catocala puerpera (Giorna, 1791) is mentioned in Campania for the first time. Of particular interest are the findings of: Euplagia quadripunctaria (Poda, 1761), this specie is included in European Community Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC); Cacyreus marshalli Butler, 1898, alien specie of South Africa origin; Glaucopsyche iolas (Ochsenheimer, 1816), that is considered “almost threatened” following IUNC Red List.