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We sequenced the COI gene of the butterfly fauna occurring on all the islands in the Sicilian strait, and compared their genetics with those of populations from Sicily and the adjacent mainland regions. The contact zones between North Africa and Europe represent a perfect area to understand the mechanisms shaping the phylogeography of the Mediterranean region. Recent reviews pointed out that Maghreb, Sicily and mainland Italy comprise high genetic variation, while the series of small islands in between could represent important genetic crossroads.

This created strong genetic contrasts between them and produced biogeographic crossroads characterized by high species richness and genetic diversity. During the Pleistocene this region encompassed several distinct glacial refugia which generated a mosaic-like structure of different subregions. Because of its biodiversity richness and high endemicity, the Mediterranean basin is considered one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.