Studies of butterflies in Bulgaria have been carried out for more than 150 years. While the species distribution was more or less known, their conservation was not a special priority until recently. Previously the conservation efforts were mainly focused on a particular species (the decline of butterflies has been recognized for many years) and not on the areas which they inhabit. The main object here was to identify and describe the most important sites for butterflies in the country, implementing a simple method using target species, in order to help the definition of the Bulgarian part of the European Union's NATURA 2000 Network. Fifty NATURA 2000 sites are properly listed and described, and in this respect the book can serve as NATURA 2000 Guide for Bulgaria.The book is richly illustrated by color photos of species and habitats, maps, it includes species listings and data on conservation and protection, as well as basic GIS data on a CD. It is adressed to lepidopterologists, biogeographers, conservationists, NATURA 2000 workers and anyone interested in the nature of the Balkans.