Bulgarian Fauna Research Articles

New eurytomid parasitoids of bark beetles in pine plantations in Ihtimanska Sredna Gora Mountains, Bulgaria

In 2020, five eurytomid species were found for first time on bark beetles in Pinus sylvestris plantations in Ihtimanska Sredna Gora Mountains in Bulgaria: Eurytoma afra Boheman, 1836, Eurytoma arctica Thomson, 1875, Eurytoma morio Boheman, 1836, Eurytoma sp.1 and Eurytoma sp.2. One of them, E. arctica is a new species for the Bulgarian fauna. The parasitoids were reared from stem and branch samples infested by Ips acuminatus, Pityogenes bistridentatus, Pityophthorus pityographus, Tomicus piniperda and T. minor. All host-parasitoid associations are new for Bulgaria. In parasitoid complex, the most abundant species was E. morio (75.9%), followed by E. arctica (13.8%), Eurytoma sp. (6.9%) and E. afra (3.4%). The parasitism of the hosts varied between 2.6% (E. afra on I. acuminatus, P. bistridentatus and P. pityographus) and 33.3% (E. morio on I. acuminatus).

Psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) in the entomological collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

The entomological collection of the National Museum of Natural History at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia (NMNHS) preserves a total of 89 specimens representing 25 species of jumping plant lice (Hemiptera: Psylloidea). These were recorded and digitised in the Specify platform as part of the Distributed System of Scientific Collections project (DissCo-BG). This paper summarises all available data on these specimens. Twenty-four species were collected in Bulgaria, one species in Greece. Voucher specimens for Psylloidea published in a historical treatise on the Bulgarian fauna of Hemiptera by Dimitar Joakimov were not found in the NMNHS and are most likely lost. However, Joakimov’s collection, later acquired and supplemented by the museum, contains unpublished material, including three species reported here for the first time from Bulgaria: Aphalara maculipennis Löw, 1886, Cacopsylla ulmi (Foerster, 1848) and Dyspersa abdominalis (Flor, 1861).

New parasitoid (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) records of bark beetles (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) in pine plantations in Bulgaria.

In 2020 and 2021, chalcidoid parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) of bark beetles in pine (Pinus spp.) plantations were studied in Bulgaria. Samples (cuttings of stems and branches) of pine trees infested by bark beetles were collected from seven plantations of Pinussylvestris and P.nigra in Bulgaria. From each sampling plot, five cuttings were collected and placed in photoeclectors in laboratory conditions (18-22ºC). Emerged bark beetles and parasitoids were regularly gathered and fixed in ethanol. Six parasitoid species - Dinotiscuscolon, Metacolusazureus, M.unifasciatus, Rhopalicusquadratus, R.tutela (Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) and Heydeniapretiosa (Chalcidoidea, Heydeniidae) were reared from five bark beetle hosts (Ipsacuminatus, Pityogenesbistridentatus, Pityophthoruspityographus, Tomicuspiniperda and T.minor). Amongst them, three species (H.pretiosa, M.azureus and R.quadratus) are recorded as new for Bulgarian fauna.

An updated checklist of ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Bulgaria, after 130 years of research.

The Bulgarian myrmecofauna is one of the richest in the Balkans. This is a result of both the physicogeographical and paleoecological features of the area, as well as relatively well-studied fauna. The earliest myrmecological paper on Bulgarian fauna, listing 54 species, was published 130 years ago. The publication was later followed by numerous new faunistic records and three comprehensive reviews that significantly widened knowledge on the ant diversity from this country. The most recent checklist was released 12 years ago and considered 163 ant species from 40 genera. This work provides an updated checklist of 195 ant species from 43 genera occurring in Bulgaria. Since the last Bulgarian catalogue of ants, 44 species have been added, while 24 species have been synonymised or excluded after critical analysis of the last taxonomic revisions. Additionally, we discuss the status and distribution of 12 species described from Bulgaria, 23 species considered endemic and subendemic for this country, 19 species with conservation status and four non-native species.

Biodiversity of Bulgaria: Characteristics, protection and trends

Bulgaria is a medium-sized country located in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It hosts a rich mycota, flora and fauna, and quite well preserved natural and semi-natural ecosystems. This is mostly due to the country's geographic position between the temperate and subtropical zones, the complex geological history, and the big topographic variety. The high species diversity and endemism determine the high conservation value of Bulgarian biodiversity. The Bulgarian flora consist of more than 4,100 species, including more than 45 species of ferns, 250 species of mosses, and 2,800 higher plant species. The animals established in the country belong to 28 phyla and 75 classes. Vertebrates (858 species) comprise 2.7% of the Bulgarian fauna: 242 fishes and fish-like taxa; 24 amphibians; 40 reptiles; 452 birds; and 101 mammal species. Invertebrates account for more than 31,000 species. Over the past 25 years the number of known animals in the country has increased by over 4,500 species: from 29,000 in 1996 to 33,545 species in 2020. The total number of endemic animals is about 1,400 (4.2%). In some groups, the percentage of endemism is very high (95.5% of snails from the family Hydrobiidae and 71% of Clausiliidae; 53.6% of Diplopoda; 50.0% of terrestrial Isopoda). The richest endemic areas in Bulgaria are mostly in the mountains: Rila Mt.- 268, Pirin Mt. - 220, Western Stara Planina Mt. - 184, Western Rhodopes Mts - 183, and the Central Stara Planina Mt. – 181. Molecular data for Bulgarian animals is still insufficient, although Bulgaria ranks among the top 10 European countries in the proportion of the DNA-barcoded animal taxa; sequence coverage of animal specimens in Barcode of Life data System (BOLD) amounts to approximately 36,000 sequences from more than 7,100 Barcode index numbers (BINs). Bulgaria is part of large-scale initiatives of the European research infrastructure such as the Distributed System of Scientific Collections (DiSSCo) and the MOBILISE COST Action, with mass digitization of museum collections currently underway. Legislation to protect nature in Bulgaria dates back to the end of the 19th century and covers forestry (1890), the protection of certain species (1890's) and hunting (1897). Organized civil movements resulted in the establishment of the Union of Nature Protection (1928), the designation of several nature reserves (1933), and the first National Park (1934). More specific regulation followed with Ordinance for the Protection of Nature (1936). The Red Data Book of Bulgaria was published as early as 1984 (vol. 1, Plants) and 1985 (vol. 2, Animals), with a second updated edition in 2011. Bulgaria is also among the first countries to prepare a National Strategy for Biodiversity Protection (1993, adopted in 1998) following the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) process. Since then, several national plans for protection of biodiversity have been adopted including assessments of the threats, objectives, and measures for their achievement. According to recent references, such as the Red Data Book (Beshkov 2011) and the Article 17 reports of 2014 and 2020, the main threats to biodiversity in Bulgaria at the beginning of the 21st century have been human induced degradation: fragmentation and loss of habitats; industrial, agricultural and household waste pollution; direct exploitation of biological resources; genetic ingression and invasive alien species; and global climate change effects. A set of drivers for the loss of biodiversity is related to agriculture and land management, including the whole spectrum from intensification to the abandonment of traditional land, and wetland management practices.

Pteromalid fauna (Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae) in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) fields in Bulgaria – species composition and perspectives for biological control

Parasitoid wasps belonging to the family Pteromalidae are widespread and abundant members of the insect communities in the temperate regions of the world. As many other chalcids do, pteromalids serve as natural enemies of the pests in various crops and play an important role in the biological control of these harmful insects. Here we present the results of a field study in Bulgaria which was focused on the diversity of family Pteromalidae in ten oilseed rape fields. All samples were collected by sweep netting on the border line or inside the crop field. A total of 93 pteromalid specimens belonging to 26 taxa were gathered. The most abundant genus was Mesopolobus – 67% of the sampled pteromalids. The most numerous species in the samples was Mesopolobus morys – a well-known key parasitoid of the cabbage seed weevil, Ceutorhynchus obstrictus, in Europe. One species – Halticoptera patellana, is recorded for the first time in Bulgarian fauna. Clearfield oilseed rape fields had relatively higher parasitoid abundance and richness than the fields treated by conventional technology. In the present work we discuss the overall species composition of Pteromalidae obtained from the studied areas and present our point of view on the perspectives for biological control of oilseed rape pests.

Data on the distribution of Dolichopodidae (Diptera: Empidoidea) in Bulgaria, with first records for the country

The paper presents information about 37 dolichopodid species, collected from 14 localities in Bulgaria. Five species (Medetera murina, Systenus scholtzi, Neurigona nubifera, Rhaphium antennatum and Sciapus bellus) are recorded for the first time for the fauna of Bulgaria. The species S. scholtzi is new to the Balkan Peninsula and the genus Systenus is a new genus of the family Dolichopodidae for the Bulgarian fauna.

New and unpublished data about the ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) from the subfamily Trechinae of Bulgaria

Bulgarian carabid fauna is relatively well studied but there are still many species and regions in the country lacking enough research. The present paper aims at complementing the data about the distribution of the carabids from the subfamily Trechinae, containing many diverse, interesting and endemic species. Currently, 55 species of Trechini, 118 species of Bembidiini (incl. Tachyina), and 13 species of Pogonini are known in Bulgaria. This study gives new information and new records on 41 Trechinae species and 17 zoogeographical regions and subregions. The material was collected in the period from 1979 to 2020 through different sampling methods. There are 20 species recorded for the first time in different regions. Two species are reported for the second time in the regions where they were currently collected. Seventeen species haven’t been reported for more than 20 years from the Boboshevo-Simitli valley, Sandanski-Petrich valley, Rila Mts., Pirin Mts., and Slavyanka Mts., and are now discovered there again.

Fifty spider species new to the Bulgarian fauna, with a review of some dubious species (Arachnida: Araneae).

This study is a part of an ongoing comprehensive inventory of Bulgarian spiders. A total of fifty spider species belonging to thirteen families are reported for the first time from Bulgaria. Four species are rejected from the Bulgarian spider checklist due to misidentification: Callilepis concolor Simon, 1914, Centromerus capucinus (Simon, 1884), Hoplopholcus labyrinthi (Kulczyński, 1903) and Mansuphantes prope fragilis (Thorell, 1875). Another four species (Drassodes villosus (Thorell, 1856), Entelecara flavipes (Blackwall, 1834), Lepthyphantes notabilis Kulczyński, 1887 and Singa semiatra L. Koch, 1867) are rejected after a new interpretation of the locations. Six species were omitted from the list of Bulgarian spiders as obviously doubtful records (Dysdera nicaeensis Thorell, 1873, Haplodrassus rufipes (Lucas, 1846), Harpactea hispana (Simon, 1882), Macaroeris cata (Blackwall, 1867), Nomisia celerrima (Simon, 1914) and Tenuiphantes monachus (Simon, 1884)). A new synonymy is proposed for Cyclosa strandjae Drensky, 1915 (= Cyclosa sierrae Simon, 1870 syn. nov.). In addition, new images with essential taxonomic value are provided for twenty-five species to facilitate their identification or to illustrate their intraspecific variability. To ensure correct identification, DNA barcoding was additionally used in some species.

A faunistic survey of the spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of Sakar Mountain, Bulgaria

A small faunistic survey has been carried out in the Bulgarian part of Sakar Mountain. As a result, the list of species known from the studied region increased from 17 to 149. Eleven species are new to the Bulgarian fauna, while 6 of them are also reported for the first time from the Balkan Peninsula. Zelotes boluensisWunderlich, 2011 is reported for the first time from Europe. New photographs and drawings are provided for Mesiotelus annulipes (Kulczyński, 1897), that has not been depicted since its original description. New photographs are given also for 11 other species. Short zoogeographical notes are provided for selected species.

An addition of two Tortricidae species to the Bulgarian fauna with notes on genital morphology (Lepidoptera)

Two species, Falseuncaria degreyana and Epibactra immundana, are reported new for Bulgaria. They were found in endangered grassland habitats in the Danubian Plain. The moths and their genitalia are illustrated, and the vesicae are described for the first time.

Checklist and provisional atlas of singing cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of Bulgaria, based on bioacoustics.

BackgroundThe singing cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of Bulgaria were poorly known. There are published records for 14 species: Cicada orni, Lyristes plebejus, Cicadatra atra, Cicadatra hyalina, Cicadatra persica, Cicadetta montana, Cicadetta mediterranea, Dimissalna dimissa, Oligoglena tibialis, Tympanistalna gastrica, Pagiphora annulata, Saticula coriaria, Tibicina haematodes and Tibicina steveni.New informationTwo species from this list were doubtful in the beginning of our study, since Tympanistalna gastrica is distributed in central and southern Portugal and Saticula coriaria is a north African species.We checked three major institutional collections housed in Sofia, Bulgaria: the National Museum of Natural History (SOFM), the Institute of Zoology (ZISB) and the Biology Faculty of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" (BFUS). We confirmed 11 of the species mentioned in literature, except Cicadetta mediterranea and found two additional species: Cicadatra platyptera and Cicadetta macedonica (the specimens in BFUS were bioacoustically confirmed).Based on this knowledge, we further investigated the singing cicadas of Bulgaria with the use of morphological and bioacoustic methods in the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2018 and 2019. We were not able to confirm the presence of Cicadatra persica and Cicadetta mediterranea, but found three additional species: Cicadetta brevipennis s. lat., Cicadetta cantilatrix and Tettigettula pygmea. Using the bioacoustic methods, we also detected unknown singing patterns, which could belong to three or four additional taxa, which need to be described.The Bulgarian fauna of singing cicadas at the moment consists of 16 confirmed and 3-4 potential species.

Two species of Psocoptera (Insecta) as new records to the Bulgarian fauna with a country checklist

Two species of Psocoptera (Insecta) are reported as new to the Bulgarian fauna: Philotarsus parviceps (Philotarsidae) and Loensia fasciata (Psocidae). After this publication, the list of known barkfly species in the country contains a total of 67 species. A checklist is provided with references to the original records.

Are there any Tertiary relict species in the modern Bulgarian spider fauna (Arachnida: Araneae)?

The species classified by various authors as Tertiary relics in the Bulgarian spider fauna are reviewed. The classification criteria used by previous authors are evaluated and discussed, and an attempt is made to identify the zoogeographical status of these species. Based upon the arguments presented below, it can be concluded that the existence of spider species with Tertiary origin in the modern Bulgarian spider fauna is highly doubtful.

Composite thrips, Microcephalothrips abdominalis, a new alien species for Bulgarian fauna

Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford, 1910) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) has been reported as a new alien species for Bulgarian fauna. The composite thrips were recorded during complex research on Thysanoptera diversity in the southwestern part of Bulgaria, with a special emphasis on the locality of the Petrich region. The thrips specimens, especially the adult females were collected on the 18<sup>th</sup> of May 2004, but the material was slide-mounted and identified in 2019. The species was found on Calendula officinalis Linnaeus only and has since become established outdoors. M. abdominalis could be a potential threat for this region of Bulgaria, especially in glasshouses with an ability to transmit economically important viruses such as Tobacco Streak Virus (TSV).

Survey on the singing cicadas (Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadoidea) of Bulgaria, including bioacoustics

The singing cicadas (Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadoidea) of Bulgaria remain poorly known. There are published records for 14 species (Arabadzhiev 1963, Barjamova 1976, Barjamova 1978, Barjamova 1990, Dirimanov and Harizanov 1965, Dlabola 1955, Gogala et al. 2005, Háva 2016, Janković 1971, Nast 1972, Nast 1987, Nedyalkov 1908, Pelov 1968, Yoakimov 1909):Lyristes plebejus,Cicada orni,Cicadatra atra,C. hyalina,C. persica,Cicadetta montana,C. mediterranea,Oligoglena tibialis,Tympanistalna gastrica,Pagiphora annulata,Dimissalna dimissa,Saticula coriaria,Tibicina haematodesandT. steveni. Two species from this list should be excluded from the list of Bulgarian cicadas, sinceT. gastricais distributed in central and southern Portugal (Sueur et al. 2004) andS. coriariais a north African species (Boulard 1981).We checked three major institutional collections housed in Sofia, Bulgaria: the National Museum of Natural History (NMNHS), Institute of Zoology (ZISB) and Biology Faculty of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" (BFUS). We confirmed 11 of the species mentioned in the literature, exceptC. mediterranea, and found 2 additional species:C. brevipennisandC. macedonica.Based on this knowledge, we further investigated the singing cicadas of Bulgaria with the use of classical and bioacoustic methods in the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2018 and 2019. We were not able to confirm the presence ofC. persicaandC. mediterranea, but found three additional species:Cicadatra platyptera,Cicadetta cantilatrixandTettigettula pygmea. Using the bioacoustic methods we also detected 3 to 4 additional taxa, which need to be described.Thus, the Bulgarian fauna of singing cicadas at the moment consists of 17+ species.

Preliminary results on species composition of the biting midges-fauna (Culicoides) in a wetland on Lower Danube Flow, Bulgaria

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides Latreille, 1809 (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are competent vectors of various pathogens in Europe with veterinary importance such as: Bluetongue virus, Schmallenberg virus, Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus and avian haemosporidians. In order to reveal the potential role that they may play in spreading diseases in wildlife and thus the impact on ecosystems which they render, a reliable estimation of their faunistic diversity is required. Previous surveys conducted in the region of Kalimok Biological Station – a wetland on Lower Danube flow – were focused mainly on the ornithophilic species acting as vectors of avian haemosporidians, and thus leaving out the whole Culicoides diversity in the area underestimated (Bobeva et al. 2013, Bobeva et al. 2014, Bobeva et al. 2015). In the present study, we combined morphological and molecular approaches for species identification of the biting midges collected in the region of the field station in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2018 years. Out of the 37 Culicoides species reported previously as national fauna (Nedelchev 2013, Pudar et al. 2018), we recorded 13 species in the studied area. In addition, three species namely, Culicoides duddingstoni, C. griseidorsum and C. кibunensis were newly recorded for the Bulgarian fauna, which raises the number of species of national fauna to 40. Interesting specimens affiliated to C. pseudopallidus have been collected in Kalimok. This latter species has not been reported in Central and Eastern Europe so far and therefore further attention is required prior being considered as a new record. Regarding the potential vectors of avian haemosporidians in the studied area, the present investigation raised the list of species suspected for spreading this disease in wildlife from three to six, namely: C. alazanicus, C. circumscriptus, C. duddingstoni, C. griseidorsum, C. kibunensis and C. pictipennis. The current study of the biting midges’ biodiversity improved the knowledge about the Bulgarian Culicoides fauna including the list of the potential vector species of avian malaria. However, faunistic studies on Culicoides in Europe remain sparse and such data serves as a basic knowledge for a better understanding of the Culicoides-borne diseases.

New records of millipedes and centipedes from Bulgaria, with an annotated checklist of the Bulgarian myriapods.

The present paper records new and poorly known myriapods (Diplopoda, Chilopoda) collected in Bulgaria in the last 10 years. Four new species are reported as new to the Bulgarian fauna: Lithobius melanops Newport, 1845 (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha: Lithodiidae), Polydesmus collaris C.L. Koch, 1847, Polydesmus inconstans Latzel, 1884 and Polydesmus schaessburgensis Verhoeff, 1898 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Polydesmidae). Scanning electron micrographs of the gonopods and male leg-pairs 5 and 6 are provided for the first time for Bulgarosoma superficiei Strasser, 1975, a species hitherto known only from its original description. This article presents also an updated list of Myriapoda in Bulgaria. The list includes a total of 251 (sub-)species of the classes Diplopoda (127), Chilopoda (104), Pauropoda (18) and Symphyla (2).

An annotated checklist and key to the Bulgarian cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattodea)

An annotated checklist of the Bulgarian species of cockroaches is prepared based on a full published scientific record and own unpublished data. According to the current state of knowledge the Bulgarian cockroach fauna includes 17 species and subspecies. One synonymization is established-Phyllodromica marginata erythronota Br. v. W., syn. n. = Ph. marginata. Two species (Capraiellus tamaninii and Supella longipalpa) are recorded for the first time for this country and other three (Ectobius punctatissimus, Phyllodromica subaptera and Phyllodromica pallida) are eliminated from the list of the Bulgarian fauna. The list is complemented with maps and full locality data and a dichotomic identification key for the studied taxa is presented.

The ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of the Strandzha Mountain and adjacent coastal territories (Bulgaria and Turkey).

BackgroundThe knowledge of the ground-beetle fauna of Strandzha is currently incomplete, and is largely based on data from the Bulgarian part of the region and on records resulting from casual collecting. This study represents a critical revision of the available literature, museum collections and a three years field study of the carabid beetles of the Bulgarian and Turkish parts of Strandzha Mountain and the adjacent Black Sea Coast territories.New informationA total of 328 species and subspecies of Carabidae, belonging to 327 species from the region of Strandzha Mountain and adjacent seacoast area, have been listed. Of these, 77 taxa represent new records for the Bulgarian part of the region, and 110 taxa new records for Turkish part of the studied region.Two taxa, one subgenus (Haptotapinus Reitter, 1886) and one species (Pterostichus crassiusculus), are new to the fauna of Bulgaria. Based on a misidentification, the species Apotomus testaceus is excluded from the list of the Bulgarian fauna. Seven species (Carabus violaceus azurescens, Apotomus rufus, Platynus proximus, Molops alpestris kalofericus, M. dilatatus angulicollis, Pterostichus merklii, and Calathus metallicus) are treated as doubtful for the regional fauna, and one (Apotomus rufus) also for the Bulgarian fauna.Altogether, 43 taxa collected in the Turkish part of the region are new for European Turkey. New taxa for Turkey are the genera Myas and Oxypselaphus, the subgenus Feronidius, and nine species and subspecies (Carabus granulatus granulatus, Dyschirius tristis, Bembidion normannum apfelbecki, B. subcostatum vau, Acupalpus exiguus, Myas chalybaeus, Oxypselaphus obscurus, Pterostichus leonisi, Pt. melas). In addition, there are a further seven species that are here confirmed for Turkey.