Slovenia

EIG Contact	David Withrington, UK david.withrington@ntlworld.com
Local Contact	Rudi Verovnik, Society for the Conservation and Study of Lepidoptera in Slovenia; Društvo za proucevanje in ohranjanje metuljev Slovenije (DPOMS), Stara Deckova cesta 14, 3000 Celje, Slovenia. Tel: +386 (0)41990833 +386 (0)34904310
Butterfly Conservation Europe Partner	Rudi Verovnik (as Local Contact above)
Local Recording Scheme
Butterfly List

Books

There is a small Slovenian butterfly society: Society for conservation and study of Lepidoptera Sloveniae (http://www.metulji.biologija.org - currently only in Slovene language). Members are currently busy monitoring Annex 2 species for the European Habitats Directive. There is no book which covers all the Slovenian butterflies. The Atlas of threatened butterflies of Slovenia (Celik, T. & Rebeušek, F. Ljubljana, 1996) deals with 25 species and has an English summary. A more comprehensive distribution atlas is in preparation and is expected to be published in 2010. I published an illustrated booklet in 2003: Butterflies in Slovenia. I have a few copies left - 'first come first served' to the email address above. There are very good 1:50,000 maps of Slovenia, but it is best to buy them once you get there.

Websites

http://www.metulji.biologija.org (Slovene language)

Holidays

Hotels and apartments: all those mentioned below can be found by a Google search. Otherwise, try www.slovenia.info

Sites & Species

Map of Slovenia © INTUTE

Slovenia is a small country - about the same size as Wales - with a remarkable variety of habitats. The highest point is in Julian Alps - Mount Triglav, at 2864 metres. River valleys run mainly SE towards the Danube, reaching the Pannonian plain just before exiting Slovenia. This part still holds some well preserved wet grasslands. The dinaric karst region has a variety of meadows, hillsides and forests, and is rich in orchids and butterflies. The coastline stretches for only 46km between Italy and Croatia, but has its own attractions for the naturalist. With approximately 180 species, Slovenia is perfect destination for anyone interested in butterflies. This is one of the main reasons that I have visited Slovenia 21 times, since my friends in Ljubljana first invited me in 1980.

There have been changes in the landscape in recent years. Woodland is encroaching on the grassland, as the meadows are left unmown by an increasingly urban population, and extensive grazing is hardly practised. Forests account for 60% of the surface area - and rising.

Visiting Slovenia

Slovenia gained its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, after a fairly bloodless secession. In 2004, it became a member state of the European Union. The currency is the Euro, and the second language is English. Cheap flights to Slovenia and neighbouring countries (eg daily EasyJet service from Stansted to Ljubljana) are available.

Butterflies

1. Mountains

The optimal time to visit the Julian Alps is in July and early August. I generally stay at the tourist centre of Kranjska Gora, which has spectacular views of the peaks and some gentle walks in the valley.

The best place to see alpine butterflies is Vršič pass (1611m) - if you can negotiate the 25 hairpin bends on the way up. Just before the pass is a locality for Asian Fritillary (Euphydryas intermedia), by a small stream below a mountain hut.

A circular walk from the top of the pass should produce most of the mountain ringlets (Erebia manto, E epiphron, E pharte, E gorge, E pronoe, E stirius, E oeme and E pandrose). You are in the heart of the Triglav national park; so nets should be used with discretion, and no specimens may be taken. Descending the south side of Vrsic, you will reach the Trenta valley and the source of the river Soča - a good spot for Stygian Ringlet (Erebia styx).

If you want to get higher, there is a narrow road - the last turning before the Italian border at Predel - which zig-zags up to 2100 m just below a pass south of Mount Mangart (2679m). Look out for Shepherd’s Fritillary (Boloria pales), Alpine Argus (Albulina orbitulus) and Alpine Heath (Coenonympha gardetta) as well as alpine skippers.

Another popular centre to stay is at Lake Bohinj on the south-eastern side of the Triglav massif, where there are a number of hotels and camp sites. A good walk is north from Stara Fužina up the Voje valley to the Mostniški waterfalls. The meadows have fritillaries (Argynnis spp), blues, skippers (Pyrgus spp) and Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne). A path, uphill to the east of the falls, leads through the woods to the Uskovnica meadows (1400m). Here you can see the mountain ringlets, Erebia manto and E epiphron, as well as the larger Erebias - E aethiops, E euryale and, the commonest, E ligea.

The Karawanken mountains form the border with Austria and are less accessible. Rudi Verovnik recently re-discovered localities there for Thor’s Fritillary (Clossiana thore), previously thought to be extinct in Slovenia.

2. Northern hills

To the south-east of the Julian Alps - almost as far as the capital Ljubljana - stretches a series of hills, typically between 700 and 1000 metres. This is excellent butterfly country, but you may be disappointed if the meadows have recently been cut. From this point of view, June might be the best month.

An area I know well is around the village of Trebija, about 35km SW of Kranj. This is an amazing place for Purple Emperor (Apatura iris), Hungarian Glider (Neptis rivularis) - look for its foodplant, the graceful fronds of goatsbeard spiraea - and I have seen the Poplar Admiral (Limenitis populus), down from the tree tops on a track. In the riverside meadows you may find Chequered Skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon), Scarce Fritillary (Euphydryas maturna), Turquoise Blue (Polyommatus dorylas) and Purple-edged Copper (Lycaena hippothoe). Up on the Ermanovec Ridge (1000m), you can see for miles across the hills. Here, Large Blues (Maculinea arion) are frequent, the Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae) can be seen in hundreds in some years, and there is a colony of Marsh Fritillaries (Euphydryas aurinia). Look out for the Dryad (Minois dryas), Woodland Brown (Lopinga achine) and Woodland Grayling (Hipparchia fagi) here.

3. Karst

The Dinaric limestone karst covers a large area of Slovenia, running SE into Croatia. It supports the richest grasslands for wild flowers and butterflies. Many of the hills are wooded. The highest is Snežnik (1797m), and the surrounding grasslands in the vicinity of Ilirska Bistrica are well worth a visit for butterflies. Typical fritillaries of the karst are Twin-spot (Brenthis hecate), Assmann’s (Mellicta britomartis), Nickerl’s (M aurelia) and Marsh (E aurinia) Fritillary. Amongst the skippers found here are the colourful Large Chequered Skipper (Heteropterus morpheus) - with its characteristic bouncy flight - Safflower Skipper (Pyrgus carthami) and Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae), which was discovered in this area in 2006 by Tristan Lafranchis, author of the European Field Guide.

As a place to stay, I recommend Hotel Rakov Škocjan, south of Ljubljana, in the heart of the forest by a World Heritage karst gorge - that is, if you don’t mind watching Hawfinches feeding their young on the lawn while you eat breakfast!

Karst hills near Illirska Bistrica

For an interesting and scenic perspective on the karst, it would be worth following the karst ridge, from Sinji Vrh, above Ajdovščina in the west, for Apollo (Parnassius apollo), Lesser Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea trivia) and Chequered Blue (Scolitantides orion), to Nanos mountain - a well-known butterfly locality - south east to Črnotiče, nearer the coast, where there are more open steppe grasslands with False Grayling (Arethusana arethusa) and Great Sooty Satyr (Satyrus ferula), and on to Sočerga near the Croatian border, where I have seen Provencal Short-tailed Blue (Everes alcetas) and there is a chance of Osiris Blue (Cupido osiris).

4. Eastern Slovenia

River valleys dominate this region - Krka, Sava, Drava and Mura. The Common Glider (Neptis sappho) is characteristic, and there are still many localities for Large Copper (Lycaena dispar), Scarce Large Blue (Maculinea telejus) and Dusky Large Blue (M nausithous), especially in the NE corner of the country. In a large oak woodland near Kostanjevica na Krki, I have seen Fenton’s Wood White (Leptidea morsei), a species which is becoming increasingly rare in Slovenia.

5. Coastal area

The Mediterranean coast and its hinterland is a surprisingly productive area for butterflies. The dominant geology is flysch - or mudstone - which supports a different variety of plants and their associated butterflies from the limestone further inland. Coastal species which occur here include Southern Small White (Pieris mannii), Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon) and Southern Comma (Polygonia egea).

The hills which rise rapidly behind the coast to some 270 metres, provide a rich habitat for butterflies such as Iolas Blue (Iolana iolas), Escher’s Blue (Polyommatus escheri), Amanda’s Blue (P amanda) and, most notably, the False Ringlet (Coenonympha oedippus). Once thought to be restricted to lowland marshes, and endangered throughout Europe, it flies here in areas of Brachypodium grassland and scrub.

I usually stay with friends in Piran, an old Venetian town of narrow alleyways on a peninsula opposite Croatia. For better access by car and for walks, I suggest the next two villages along the coast to the east. The Hotel Barbara at Fiesa is modern and efficient, and you can walk along the undercliff to Piran for an evening meal. At Strunjan, I recommend the Salinera Apartments up the hill, overlooking salt lagoons. Here you can enjoy a glass of wine on the balcony as the sun sets to the sound of Nightingales and Scops Owl. The unpretentious Lambarda restaurant on the causeway across the salt lagoons does a wonderful Mediterranean fish platter.

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