Published on 27 March 2015 169 ZOOSYSTEMA • 2015 • 37 (1) © Publications scientiiques du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris. www.zoosystema.com KEY WORDS conservation, butterlies, restoration ecology, oviposition, larval development. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:791830E1-C6B6-4064-984E-C9DBCA6816CD Bonelli S., Barbero F., Casacci L. P. & Balletto E. 2015. — Habitat preferences of Papilio alexanor Esper, [1800]: im- plications for habitat management in the Italian maritime Alps, in Daugeron C., Deharveng L., Isaia M., Villemant C. & Judson M. (eds), Mercantour/Alpi Marittime All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory. Zoosystema 37 (1): 169-177. http://dx.doi. org/10.5252/z2015n1a7 ABSTRACT Papilio alexanor Esper, [1800] is a threatened European butterly species listed in Annex IV of the Habi- tats Directive and in Appendix II of the Bern Convention, being considered extremely vulnerable to climate change. According to some projections (e.g., Bambu, a scenario of moderate climate change), it would be expected to lose 63% of its European climatic niche by the year 2050 and 77% by 2080. he few remaining populations are expected to become concentrated in the Maritime Alps. In 2009 and 2010, we studied what is probably the densest P. alexanor population in the Italian part of this area. It occurs in a series of dry, xerothermic grasslands, also partially occupied by an abandoned limestone quarry, where the larval food plant is Ptychotis saxifraga (L.) Loret & Barrandon. Females lay eggs in July, choosing patches where the food plants are higher and more abundant. he habitat preference, conservation status and survival of the early instars larvae of P. alexanor have been investigated in order to draw up conservation strategies for this species in the Italian Maritime Alps. RÉSUMÉ Préférences d’habitat de Papilio alexanor Esper, [1800]: implications pour la gestion de l’habitat dans les Alpes-Maritimes Italiennes. Papilio alexanor Esper, [1800] est un papillon diurne menacé en Europe et inscrit à l’Annexe IV de la Directive Habitats dans l’Appendice II de la Convention de Berne. Cette espèce est considérée comme particulièrement sensible aux changements climatiques. Selon quelques projections (ex. Bambu, un scénario de changement climatique modéré), elle serait susceptible de perdre 63 % de sa niche cli- matique européenne d’ici à l’année 2050 et jusqu’à 77 % d’ici à 2080. On peut s’attendre à ce que les quelques populations survivantes soient concentrées dans les Alpes maritimes. En 2009 et 2010, nous avons étudié la population de P. alexanor probablement la plus dense parmi celles qui habitent la portion italienne de ce territoire. Elle occupe une série de friches semi-naturelles aussi bien qu’une Simona BONELLI (Corresponding author) Francesca BARBERO Luca Pietro CASACCI Emilio BALLETTO Department of Life Science and Systems Biology, Turin University Via Accademia Albertina 13 10123, Turin (Italy) simona.bonelli@unito.it francesca.barbero@unito.it luca.casacci@unito.it emilio.balletto@unito.it Habitat preferences of Papilio alexanor Esper, [1800]: implications for habitat management in the Italian Maritime Alps