THE REDISCOVERY OF Lycaena helle (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) IN DORNA DEPRESSION (ROMANIA), 125 YEARS AFTER ITS FIRST MENTION.

At present, the known populations of Lycaena helle from Romania are found at a lower altitude than those from Western and Central Europe. Besides land-use changes, climate warming severely threatens this specie that prefer humid and cool habitats. Withdrawal to higher altitudes is also restricted by the species' low dispersal ability. Therefore, the future of the Romanian population is uncertain. While implementing a peatlands restoration project in the northeastern part of the country, we investigated the local invertebrate fauna around a bog woodland from Dornelor Depression (Suceava County). Here we found a mosaic of wet habitats sheltering a violet copper population. This population was mentioned long ago, representing the first recorded instance of this species in present-day Romania. The violet copper butterfly has not been spotted in the area since the initial record was published in 1897, and current literature only refers to it as historical data from the Dorna Depression. We describe the habitat occupied by this population, bring up to date the specie's distribution, and prompt for the designation of a special area of conservation for this European protected species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]