Wanted! Dead or alive: the tale of the Brown’s Grayling (Pseudochazara amymone)

The Brown’s Grayling (Pseudochazara amymone)
is one of the most enigmatic and sought after species
among European butterflies. Hiding its exact distribution
for almost 40 years with the idea of protecting it, resulted
in an increasing collector’s interest, with market prices
reaching up to 1,000 euro for a single female after its
discovery in Albania. Aiming to demystify this butterfly
and enable entomologists and conservationists to see the
species in its natural environment, we provide detailed
information on its distribution in south-eastern Albania. In
addition, we modelled the potential species distribution to
facilitate further surveys within its potential range. The
modelled range of P. amymone is highly fragmented
stretching from the central part of eastern Albania to
northern Greece and is strongly bound to ophiolite
geological strata. The species was re-assessed as Endangered
according to the IUCN criteria, with a predicted
population decline due to construction of hydroelectric
power plants in one of the locations. We argue that hiding
valuable information regarding threatened insect species
may have negative effects and we advocate publishing
available distribution data so that conservation measures
may be undertaken where and when necessary.