New data about Bulgarian ground beetles from subfamilies Nebriinae, Carabinae and Cicindelinae (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Bulgarian ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) fauna is relatively well studied but there are still many species and regions in the country which are not well researched. The present study aims at complementing the data about the distribution of the carabids from the subfamilies Nebriinae, Carabinae and Cicindelinae, which contain some of the most attractive Palaearctic carabids. Currently, 13 species of Nebriini, ten species of Notiophilini, one species of Cychrini, 28 species of Carabini and 15 species of Cicindelini are known to occur in Bulgaria. The paper gives new information and new records on 37 carabid species and 25 zoogeographical regions in Bulgaria. Beetles are collected in the period from 1976 to 2021 by different collectors and sampling methods. Six species are recorded for the first time in different regions. Four species are reported for the second time in the regions where they have currently been collected. Fourteen species haven’t been reported for more than 20 years from the Middle and Western Stara Planina Mts, Western Bulgaria Region, Kraishte Region, Boboshevo-Simitli Valley, Vitosha Mts, Plana Mt, Lyulin Mts, Rila Mts and Pirin Mts.

A first comprehensive inventory of Ascalaphidae, Palparidae, and Myrmeleontidae (Insecta: Neuroptera) of Northeastern Nigeria with description of two new species and an overview of genus Bankisus Navás

Investigation of a large collection of Neuroptera from Northeastern Nigeria stored untouched in alcohol for four decades in the National Museum of Natural History, Sofia, provided the opportunity to examine unpublished specimens and conduct a thorough review of published literature, establishing the first comprehensive inventory of Ascalaphidae, Palparidae, and Myrmeleontidae of Northeastern Nigeria to date. Specimens had been collected between 1976 and 1978 in Northeastern Nigeria, mostly in Jos City and Plateau State. Five species of Ascalaphidae, four of Palparidae, and 26 of Myrmeleontidae were identified. Bankisus beroni sp. n. and Creoleon nigrithorax sp. n. are described. Gymnoleon gaillardi is not considered a synonym of Gymnoleon exilis and a new synonymy is established: Gymnoleon externus (Navás, 1911) (= Gymnoleon gaillardi Navás, 1912, syn. n.). An examination of unpublished specimens in museum collections and an exhaustive literature review were conducted in order to draw up a comprehensive inventory of the fauna of Northeastern Nigeria, which to date comprises 11 species of Ascalaphidae, 12 species of Palparidae, and 34 species of Myrmeleontidae, of which one species of Ascalaphidae, two species of Palparidae, and 16 species of Myrmeleontidae, as well as the genera Brevibarbis, Bankisus, and Capicua, had not been reported to occur in Nigeria. The chorological information on the genus Bankisus is reviewed, the ranges of the species are critically discussed and corrected, and all known localities are indicated on a map. Bankisus oculatus is reported for the first time from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The first recording of Centroclisis lineatipennis in West Africa is reported. Palpares cataractae and Palpares radiatus are deleted from the list of Nigerian fauna. With these new records, the known ranges of eight species are extended by more than 1400 km. In the process of assessing the geographical distribution of species present in Northeastern Nigeria, six species, as well as the genera Myrmecaelurus and Cueta and the tribe Nesoleontini, are reported for the first time from Burkina Faso.

Long-legged flies (Diptera: Empidoidea: Dolichopodidae) from the Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria, with first records for the Balkan Peninsula

The paper presents information about 35 dolichopodid flies collected from 12 localities in the Balkan Mountains at the territory of Bulgaria. Two species, Campsicnemus pusillus and Sciapus maritimus, are recorded for the first time in Bulgaria and on the Balkan Peninsula. Another nine ones are listed for the first time to the Balkan Mountains range.

Giant pelobatid fossil larva from the middle Miocene of Bulgaria

So far, in Bulgaria several fossils of extinct anuran species have been found, but all seem doubtful. Only two pelobatid remains have been found from the Balkans and the regions - younger species (Late Pleistocene) of the genus Pelobates from Serbia and Miocene Pelobates sp. from Turkey. The fossil in the current study represents a larva of the genus Eopelobates, the first discovery of this genus not only for Bulgaria but for the Balkans as well. This pelobatid larva is gigantic, more than 200 mm in total length. The fossil is found in a diatomitian complex from the middle Miocene.

A case of Emys orbicularis (L.) feeding on newts from Bulgaria

Different amphibians and amphibian larvae were already observed and described as part of the diet of the European pond turtle. Few studies report body parts from adult newts in the stomach content of Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758) or newts predated by the same pond turtle species. We observed remains of Triturus dobrogicus (Kiritzescu, 1903) and Trituris ivanbureschi Arntzen & Wielstra, 2013 eaten by E. orbicularis inside funnel traps, which strongly suggests, that newts are part of the diet, although not typical and often eaten food by this pond turtle.

Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) of Vitosha Mt (Bulgaria)

Two hundred and one species of the family have been established on the territory of the Vitosha Mt. The genera Gymnoptera, Peromitra, Plectanocnema and Tubicera have been recorded for the first time on the Balkan Peninsula and Menozziola - in Bulgaria. Sixty-nine species are new for the Balkan Peninsula and additional thirty-two - for Bulgaria. On the basis of the established number of species, it can be concluded that Vitosha Mountain is an area with a significant scuttle fly diversity. Some new data are established about flower visiting of some scuttle fly species.

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.

Vagrant species of birds captured at Durankulak ringing camp, NE Bulgaria, 2019-2020

The area of Coastal Dobrudzha in NE Bulgaria is well known for its richness of vagrants. A long-term research project was started at a location at Durankulak Lake, on the northern Black Sea Coast, aiming to obtain data on the characteristics of autumn migration of passerine birds and on the presence of vagrants there. A total of 20 mist nets with an overall length of 200 meters were set between August and October in two different habitats - reed bed and broad-leaved forest. In 2019, a total of 9344 birds of 84 species were caught and ringed. In 2020, the number of the birds caught increased to 13786 of 93 species. Vagrants such as dusky warbler (Phylloscopus fuscatus), yellow-browed warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus) and red-flanked bluetail (Tarsiger cyanurus) were captured in 2020. Detailed information about these findings is given in the present work.

The new replacement name Euafricana nom. nov. for the preoccupied genus Africana Ocaña & Brito, 2015 (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia: Caryophylliidae)

The genus name Euafricana Ceccolini & Cianferoni nom. nov. is proposed to replace the name of the coral Africana Ocaña & Brito, preoccupied by the nematode genus Africana Travossos, 1920. Euafricana wirtzi (Ocaña & Brito, 2015) comb. nov. is also established.

Three species of butterflies new for the North Aegean Island of Lemnos (Greece)

The paper presents results of a brief entomological surveys carried out in the southern parts of Lemnos Island in 2016, 2017 and 2019. It includes a list of 14 recorded species of butterflies, three of which are new for the island.