At the end of 2025, a two-year monitoring project was completed at two of the most important nature sites in Prague – the Dalejský profil National Nature Monument and the Prokopské údolí Nature Reserve. Over two seasons, the presence of large nocturnal moths (e.g., hawk moths, tiger moths, eggars, noctuids and geometrids) was recorded at 28 sampling points using light traps. A survey of this scope has not previously been carried out in these areas. In total, 311 species were documented (250 in the Dalejský profil and 221 in the Prokopské údolí), representing a remarkable diversity. Among the conservation-relevant species, three endangered species were found – the sphingid Hyles euphorbiae, the “Prague” noctuid Luperina nickerlii, and the tiger moth Watsonarctia casta. Species classified as vulnerable include Achlya flavicornis, Dichagyris forcipula, the lichen moths Eilema palliatella and E. pygmaeola, and the ghost moth Korscheltellus lupulina. Four additional species are considered near threatened, the most significant being the geometrid moth Asthena anseraria and the noctuid Sideridis lampra. Approximately half of all recorded species are habitat specialists associated with open habitats in forest–steppe environments. These findings demonstrate the exceptionally valuable nocturnal moth communities present at these sites, not only within the context of Prague but more broadly.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Prague City Council, which enabled the implementation of this project.
