The clouded mother-of-pearlProtogoniomorpha anacardiiLinnaeus, 1758 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) – an updated record of butterfly for Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The clouded mother-of-pearlProtogoniomorpha anacardiiLinnaeus, 1758 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) was recorded for the first time in Saudi Arabia. At this stage, we confirmed the presence of this species in the southernmost part of Saudi Arabia based on photographs taken in 2020–2023 from Fayfa and the adjacent mountains in Jazan. The photographs match the descriptions and remarks made by Dr Torben Larsen in multiple publications, which suggest that this taxon represents the widespread subspeciesP. a. nebulosaTrimen, 1881. Here, we discuss the Saudi Arabian populations ofP. a. nebulosaand its conservation in depth and encourage more research on butterflies in Saudi Arabia.