Vol. 77 (1) 2025

ARTICLES

The Dipterans (Insecta: Diptera) of the Stara Planina Mountains, Bulgaria

Zdravko Hubenov

More info

National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria;
E-mail: zkhubenov@abv.bg; zhubenov@nmnhs.com

https://doi.org/10.71424/azb77.1.002800

PDF

Abstract
A total of 1723 species of 70 families have been established in the Stara Planina Mts. so far. The family Mycetophilidae is the most numerous (219 species or 12.7%), followed by Tachinidae (161 species or 9.3%), Muscidae (157 species or 9.1%) and Agromyzidae (101 species or 5.9%). The greatest number of species have been found in the Western Stara Planina Mts. (1087 species or 63.1%), in the belt of the mesophilic and xeromesophilic mixed forests (1432 species or 83.1%) and north of the central ridge (1289 species or 74.8%). The faunistic similarity between the separate parts of the mountain is scrutinised. The dipterans belong to 121 areographical categories, divided into two main groups: 1) species with Mediterranean distribution (103 species – 6.0%): more thermophilic and distributed mainly in the southern parts of the Palaearctic and the lower parts of the mountains; 2) species with Palaearctic and Eurosiberian distribution (1620 species – 94.0%): more eurybiontic and widely distributed in the Palaearctic and in the mountains. The Holomediterranean and South-eastern European forms (from 0.5% to 0.7%) are the best represented in the first group. The European, Holarctic and Transpalaearctic taxa (from 6.4% to 18.1%) prevail in the second group. The endemic species are 24 (1.4%). The distribution of the areographical categories in the separate parts of the mountain and the vegetation belts is also scrutinised.

Key words
Diptera, Bulgaria, Stara Planina Mts., faunistic composition, areographical characteristic

How to Cite
Hubenov Z. 2025. The Dipterans (Insecta: Diptera) of the Stara Planina Mountains, Bulgaria. Acta zoologica bulgarica 77 (1) 23-39.

References

  1. Bechev D. 2007. Families Bolitophilidae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae, Keroplatidae and Mycetophilidae (Diptera: Sciaroidea) in the Balkan Peninsula and East Mediterranean. DSc thesis, Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. 412 p. (In Bulgarian).
  2. Bechev D. & Pavlova A. 2016. Fungus gnats (Diptera: Bolitophilidae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae, Keroplatidae and Mycetophiliade) of Vrachanska Planina Mountains. In: Bechev D. & Georgiev D. (Eds.), Faunistic diversity of Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park. ZooNotes, Supplement 3, Plovdiv University Press, pp. 169–179.
  3. Bondev I. 1991. The vegetation of Bulgaria. Sofia: Kliment Ohridski University Press. 184 p. (In Bulgarian with English summary).
  4. Bondev I. 2002. Geobotanic regioning. In: Copralev I. (Ed.). Geography of Bulgaria. Sofia, ForCom, pp. 336–352. (In Bulgarian with English summary).
  5. Božkov D. 1967. Stechmücken aus dem westlichen Balkangebirge. Bulletin de l’Institut de zoologie et musée 25: 41–64. (In Bulgarian with German summary).
  6. Božkov D. 1974. Stechmücken aus dem mittleren und dem östlichen Balkangebirge (Mit einigen Notizen über die Stechmücken des Balkangebirges überhaupt). Bulletin de l’Institut de zoologie et musée 41: 161–175. (In Bulgarian with German summary).
  7. Buresch I. 1924. Referate und Berichte. Mitteilungen der Bulgarischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft in Sofia 1: 16–20. (In Bulgarian).
  8. Chorbadzhiev P. 1925. Beitrag zur Erforschung der Parasiten der schädlichen Insekten in Bulgarien. Mitteilungen der Bulgarischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft in Sofia 2: 84–89.
  9. Chorbadzhiev P. 1928. Bemerkungen über einige schädliche Insekten in Bulgarien beobachtet während der Jahre 1926 und 1927. Mitteilungen der Bulgarischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft in Sofia 4: 125–134. (In Bulgarian).
  10. Chorbadzhiev P. 1932. Nepriyateli po kulturnite rasteniya v Bulgariya prez 1928 i 1929 godini [Pests on the cultivated plants in Bulgaria in 1928 and 1929]. Svedeniya po zemedelieto 13 (3/4): 3–48. (In Bulgarian).
  11. Chorbadzhiev P. 1933. Harmful insects on the fruit trees in Bulgaria. Ministerstvo na zemedelieto i darzhavnite imoti (Ministry of Agriculture and State Property), Sofia, Semestopanska biblioteka 59. 240 p. (In Bulgarian).
  12. Crosskey R. W. & White G. B. 1977. The Afrotropical Region. A recommended term in zoogeography. Journal of Natural History, 11: 541–544.
  13. Czekanowski J. 1909. Zur Differentiadiagnose der Neandertalgruppe. Korrespondenzblatt der deutschen Gesellschaft für Anthropologie, Ethnologie und Urgeschichte 40: 44–47.
  14. Czerný L. 1930. Dipteren auf Schnee und Höhlen. Mitteilungen königl naturwissenschaftlichen Instituten in Sofia (Bulgarien) 3: 113–118.
  15. Darlington P. 1957. Zoogeography. New York, Wiley. 675 p.
  16. Dice L. 1945. Measures of the amount of ecologic association between species. Ecology 26 (3): 297–302.
  17. Drensky P. 1926. Die Parasitär Lebenden Fliegen der Fam. Pupiparae (Diptera) in Bulgarien. Mitteilungen der Bulgarischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft in Sofia 3: 89–104. (In Bulgarian with German summary).
  18. Drensky P. 1929. Blutsaugende Fliegen aus der Familie der Tabanidae (Bremsen) in Bulgarien. Mitteilungen aus den Königl. Naturwissenschaftlichen Instituten in Sofia 2: 55–128. (In Bulgarian with German summary).
  19. Drensky P. 1933. Die parasitären Fliegen der Familie Oestridae in Bulgarien. Mitteilungen aus den Königl. Naturwissenschaftlichen Instituten in Sofia 6: 125–1149. (In Bulgarian with German summary).
  20. Drensky P. 1934a. Die Fliegen der Familie Syrphidae (Dipt.) in Bulgarien. Mitteilungen der Bulgarischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft in Sofia 8: 109–131. (In Bulgarian with German sumarry).
  21. Drensky P. 1934b. Fauna na Lovchansko i Troyansko [The fauna of Lovchansko and Troyansko]. Lovech i Lovchansko 6: 107–125.
  22. Drensky P. 1939. Die parasitären Fliegen der Famillie Conopidae in Bulgarien. Travaux de la Société Bulgare de Sciences Natureles 18: 70–80. (In Bulgarian with German summary).
  23. Drensky P. 1943. Muhi ot semeystvo Trypetidae v Bulgaria [Flies of the family Trypetidae (Dipt.) in Bulgaria]. Annuaire de l’Université de Sofia 39: 69–126. (In Bulgarian with German summary).
  24. Emeljanov A. F. 1974. Proposal on the classification and nomenclature of areals. Entomologicheskoe obozrenie 53 (3): 497–522. (In Russian with English summary).
  25. Emeljanov A. F. 2018. Sectorial attribution of the range types proposed by K. B. Gorodkov for northern palaearctic. Entomologicheskoe obozrenie 97 (1): 47–59. (In Russian with English summary).
  26. Enderlein G. 1924. Die Simuliden Bulgariens und ihre Schäden im Jahre 1923. Zoologischer Anzeiger, B. 61 (11/12): 280–288.
  27. Ficetola G., Mazel F. & Thuiller W. 2017. Global determinants of zoogeographical boundaries. Nature Ecology & Evolution 1 (0089): 1–7.
  28. Galabov Zh. 1966. Staroplaninska verizhna sistema. In: Gerasimov I. & Galabov Zh. (Eds): Geography of Bulgaria. 1. Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, pp. 80–116. (In Bulgarian).
  29. Ganeva D. 1995. The tabanids fauna (Tabanidae, Diptera) of Stara Planina (Bulgaria). I. In: Gruev B., Nikolova M. & Donev A. (Eds.). Proceedings of the Balkan Scientific conference of biology in Plovdiv (Bulgaria), pp. 397–403.
  30. Ganeva D. 2016. Horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) of Vrachanska Planina Mountains. In: Bechev D. & Georgiev D. (Eds.). Faunistic diversity of Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park. ZooNotes, Supplement 3: 181–184.
  31. Ganeva D. & Ivanov I. 2015. Species composition and zoogeographical aspects of the Horsefly fauna (Diptera: Tabanidae) in the Central Balkan Mountains. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 67 (2): 215–222.
  32. Georgiev V. 1978. Problems of zoogeographical regional division in Bulgaria. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 11: 41–48.
  33. Georgiev V. 2002. Zoogeographic regioning. In: Copralev I. (Ed.). Geography of Bulgaria. Sofia, ForCom, 373–375. (in Bulgarian with English summary).
  34. Georgiev G. & Hubenov Z. 2006. Vertical distribution and zoogeographical characteristics of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) family in Bulgaria. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 58 (3): 315–343.
  35. Geptner V. 1936. Obshtaya zoogeografiya. Moscow, Biomedgiz. 548 p. (In Russian).
  36. Gorodkov K. B. 1984. Ranges types of insects of tundra and forests zones of European Part of USSR. In: Provisional Atlas of the insects of the European Part of USSSR. Leningrad, Nauka, pp. 3–20. (In Russian).
  37. Grehan J. 1988. The natural biogeographic regions. Revista di Biologia – Biology Forum 81 (4): 569–575.
  38. Grehan J. 1993. Conservation biogeography and the biodiversity crisis: a global problem in space/time. Biodiversity Letters 1: 134–140.
  39. Holt B., Lessard J.-P., Borregaard M., Fritz S., Araújo M., Dimitrov D., Fabre P.-H., Graham C., Graves G., Jønsson K., Nogués-Bravo D., Wang Z., Whittaker R., Fjeldså J. & Rahbek C. 2013. An ubdate of Wallace’s zoogeographic regions of the world. Science 339: 74–78.
  40. Hubenov Z. 2008. Composition and zoogeographical characteristics of the family Tachinidae (Insecta: Diptera) in the Balkan countries. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 60 (3): 243–265.
  41. Hubenov Z. 2015a. Areographical structure of the Bulgarian non-marine invertebrate fauna (Metazoa: Invertebrata). Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 67 (2): 203–213.
  42. Hubenov Z. 2015b. Two-winged insects (Insecta: Diptera) of Pirin. Historia Naturalis Bulgarica 21: 215–256.
  43. Hubenov Z. 2016. The Dipterans (Insecta: Diptera) of the Rila Mountains. Historia Naturalis Bulgarica 23: 37–99.
  44. Hubenov Z. 2017. Vertical distribution and comparative zoogeographical characteristic of dipteran fauna (Insecta: Diptera) according to the vegetation belts of the Pirin and Rila Mountains. Historia Naturalis Bulgarica 24: 61–119.
  45. Hubenov Z. 2019a. The Dipterans (Insecta: Diptera) of the Vrachanska Planina Mountains. In: Bechev D. & Georgiev D. (Eds.). Faunistic diversity of Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park. Part 2. ZooNotes, Supplement 7: 107–165.
  46. Hubenov Z. 2019b. Distribution and Comparative Characteristics of the Dipteran Fauna (Insecta: Diptera) of the Vrachanska Planina, Vitosha, Rila and Pirin Mountains, Bulgaria. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 71 (4): 2019: 501–518.
  47. Hubenov Z. 2021. Species composition and distribution of the dipterans (Insecta: Diptera) in Bulgaria. Sofia, Pensoft and National Museum of Natural History, 276 pp. doi:10.3897/ab.e68616
  48. Hubenov Z., Beshovski V., Josifov M., Popov A., Kumanski K., Sakalian V., Abadjiev S., Vidinova Y. & Lyubomirov T. 2000a. Entomofaunistic diversity of the Central Balkan National Park. In: Biological diversity of the Central Balkan National Park, Sofia Pensoft, 319–362, 491–512, 538–586.
  49. Jacentkovský D. 1936. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Raupenfliegen (Tachinariae, Diptera) Bulgariens. Mitteilungen aus den Konigl. Naturwissenschaftlichen Instituten in Sofia 9: 109–134.
  50. Jacentkovský D. 1937. Příspĕvek k studiu biologické obrany proti lesním škůdcům. Sborník vysoké Školy zemĕdĕlské v Brnĕ, ČSR., Fakulta Lesnická, D24, 54 p.
  51. Josifov M. 1963. Heteropteren aus der Umgebung von Petrič (SW Bulgarien). Bulletin de l’Institut de Zoologie et Musée (Academie Bulgare des sciences) 13: 93–132. (In Bulgarian with German sumarry).
  52. Josifov M. 1976. Artbildung bei den Heteropteren im Mittelmeerraum als Folge der postglazialen Disjunktion ihrer Areale. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 4: 11–19. (In Bulgarian with German sumarry).
  53. Josifov M. 1988. Über den zoogeographischen Charakter der Südeuropäischen Insektenfauna unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Heteropteren. Berichte des Naturwissenschaftlich-Medizinischen Vereins in Insbruck 75: 177–184.
  54. Karamann Z. 1939. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Nycteribien. Annales Musei Serbiae Meridionalis 1 (3) : 31–44.
  55. Kechev M. & Koychev B. 2021. Long-legged flies (Diptera: Empidoidea: Dolichopodidae) from the Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria, with first records for the Balkan Peninsula. Historia Naturalis Bulgarica 43 (4): 43–49.
  56. Kechev M. & Koychev B. 2023. Additional records of family Dolichopodidae (Diptera: Empidoidea) for the fauna of the Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria. Historia Naturalis Bulgarica 45 (3): 47–51.
  57. Konsuloff S. 1923. Biologichni belezhki po borbata s malariyata u nas [Biological notes on the fight against malaria in Bulgaria]. Annuaire de l’Université de Sofia 19 (1a): 139–150. (In Bulgarian).
  58. Konsuloff S. & Paspalev G. 1925. Izuchvaniya varhu zlata muha (Simuliidae) [Studies on the evil fly (Simuliidae)]. Annuaire de l’Université de Sofia 21: 59–66. (In Bulgarian).
  59. Kryzhanovsky O. 1965. Composition and origin of the terrestrial fauna of Central Asia (based chiefly on the beetles material). Moscow–Leningrad, Nauka. 430 p. (In Russian).
  60. Kryzhanovsky O. 1976. On the principles of zoogeographical regionalization of land. Zoologichesky Zhurnal, 55 (7): 965–975. (In Russian with English summary).
  61. Kryzhanovsky O. 2002. Composition and distribution of entomofauna of the globe. Moscow, KMK. 237 p. (In Russian).
  62. Lattin de G. 1967. Grundriss der Zoogeographie. Hochschullehrbücher für Biologie. 12. Jena, VEB Gustav Fischer Verlag. 602 p.
  63. Lavčiev V. 1970. Die Fliegen (Fam. Muscidae, Diptera) im Westlichen Balkangebirge. Bulletin de l’Institut de zoologie et Musée 30: 119–159. (In Bulgarian with German summary).
  64. Lavčiev V. 1974. Beitrag zur erforschung der eigentlichen Fliegen (Muscidae, Diptera) in dem Mittleren und dem Östlichen Balkangebirge. Bulletin de l’Institut de zoologie et Musée 41: 141–159. (In Bulgarian with German summary).
  65. Lopatin I. K. 1989. Zoogeography. Minsk: Vysheyshaya shkola. 392 p. (in Russian).
  66. Löw H. 1863. Ueber bei Sliwno im Balkan gefangene Dipteren. Wiener Entomologische Monatsschrift 7 (2): 33–35.
  67. Malicky H., Ant H., Aspöck H., de Jong R., Thaler K. & Varga Z. 1983. Argumente zur Existenz und Chorologie mitteleuropäischer (extramediterran-europäischer) Faunen-Elemente. Entomologia Generalis 9: 101–119.
  68. Müller P. 1974. Aspects of zoogeography. The Hague, W. Junk Publishers. 208 p.
  69. Müller P. 1980. Biogeographie. Stuttgart, Ulmer. 414 p.
  70. Nedelkov N. 1909. Nashata entomologichna fauna [Our entomological fauna]. Arhiv na Ministerstvoto na narodnoto prosveshtenie 1 (3): 83–135. (In Bulgarian).
  71. Nedelkov N. 1912. Sixth contribution to the entomological fauna of Bulgaria. Revue de l’Academie Bulgare des Sciences 2: 177–218. (In Bulgarian).
  72. Nikolov V., Yordanova M. & Boteva I. 2013. The mountains in Bulgaria. Prof. M. Drinov Academic publishing house, 432 p. (in Bulgarian).
  73. Procheş Ş. & Ramdhani S. 2012. The World’s zoogeographical regions confirmed by cross-taxon analyses. BioScience 62 (3): 260–270.
  74. Sabev L. & Stanev S. 1959 Klimatichnite rayoni na Balgaria i tehniyat klimat. Proceedings of the Institute of Hydrology and Meteorology 5: 29–174. (in Bulgarian).
  75. Sørensen T. 1948. A method of establishing groups of equal amplitude in plant sociology based on similarity of species content. Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab. Biologiske Skrifter 4: 1–34.
  76. Stanev S. 1991. Climatic regions of Bulgaria. In: Stanev S., Kyuchukova M. & Lingova St. (Eds.), The climate of Bulgaria. Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, pp. 53–89. (in Bulgarian with English summary).
  77. Stefanov P. 2002. Stara Planina mountain system. In: Copralev I. (Ed.). Geography of Bulgaria. Sofia, ForKom, 31–33. (In Bulgarian with English sumarry).
  78. Stojanov N. 1966. Rastitelna pokrivka. In: Beshkov A. (Ed.). Geography of Bulgaria. 1. Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 447–482. (In Bulgarian).
  79. Szilády Z. 1934. Beiträge zur Dipterenfauna Bulgariens. Bulletin de la Société entomologique de Bulgarie 8: 145–151.
  80. Tichkov H. 1976. Le climat des regions montagneuses de la Bulgarie. Structure et genese. Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 210 pp. (in Bulgarian with French
  81. summary).
  82. Udvardi M. 1975. A classification of the Biogeographical Provinces of the World. Morges, IUCN Paper 18. 49 p.
  83. Velchev V. 1971. The vegetational cover of Vratsa Mountain. Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, 254 p. (in Bulgarian with English summary).
  84. Velchev V. 2002. Characteristic features and regularities in the distribution of the present-day vegetation. In: Copralev I. (Ed.). Geography of Bulgaria. Sofia, ForKom, 321–324. (In Bulgarian with English sumarry).
  85. Velchev V., Ganchev S. & Bondev I. 1982. Rastitelni poyasi. In: Galabov Zh. (Ed.). Geography of Bulgaria. 1. Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 439–443. (In Bulgarian with English sumarry).
  86. Velev S. 2002. Climatic regioning. In: Copralev I. (Ed.). Geography of Bulgaria. Sofia, ForKom, pp. 155–156. (in Bulgarian with English summary).
  87. Vigna Taglianti A., Audisio P., Biondi M., Bologna M., Carpaneto G., Biase A., Fattorini S., Piattella E., Sindaco R. 1999. A proposal for a chorotype classification of the Near East fauna, in the framework of the Western Palaearctic Region. Biogeographia 20: 31–59.
  88. Željazova M. 1971. Asilidae (Diptera) aus der Westlichen Stara Planina. Bulletin de l’Institut de zoologique et Musée 33: 71–74. (in Bulgarian with German summary).
  89. Željazova M. 1974. Die Asiliden (Diptera in dem Mittleren und dem Östlichen Balkangebirge. Bulletin de l’Institut de zoologique et Musée 41: 199–206. (in Bulgarian with German summary).
  90. Zilahi G. 1934. Beiträge zur Fliegenfauna Bulgariens. I. Chironomidae. Mitteilungen der Bulgarischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft in Sofia 8: 152–158.