The Lepidoptera of Parque Natural do Tejo Internacional, Portugal (Insecta: Lepidoptera)

A project to identify hotspot areas in Portugal especially rich in Lepidoptera biodiversity has initiated field work in recent years in the Tejo Internacional Natural Park, in the extreme east of central Portugal. To date, this has confirmed the presence of 461 butterfly and moth (Rhopalocera and Heterocera) species belonging to 49 different families. This Natura 2000 site and Natural Park was selected for conservation for its birds of prey and steep ravines supporting well preserved Mediterranean scrubland. However, the Lepidoptera communities were previously unknown. This work is aimed at filling this knowledge-gap and raising the Lepidoptera profile in the area, which is moderately rich in butterflies and moths in a national context. The results so far enhance the importance of this area for biodiversity conservation at both national and Iberian levels.