Vol. 77 (1) 2025

ARTICLES

Carabus (Tomocarabus) bessarabicus tangra (Coleoptera: Carabidae): a New Subspecies from the Karst Steppe Refugia of the Chepan Planina and Tri Ushi Mountains in Central-Western Bulgaria

Teodora Teofilova1, Ivan Rapuzzi2 & Nikolay Kodzhabashev3

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*1Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (IBER), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria; E-mail: oberon_zoo@abv.bg; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0111-1573
2Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, Route de Malagnou 1, 1208 Genève, Switzerland; E-mail: info@ronchidicialla.it;
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5644-6218
3Department of Hunting and Game Management, Faculty of Forestry, University of Forestry, 10 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria; E-mail: ndkodjak@abv.bg

https://doi.org/10.71424/azb77.1.002825

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Abstract
Ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) fauna of Bulgaria is relatively well studied, but recent research showed that there are still some unknown distributional patterns or new taxonomical issues to be faced and resolved. In this paper we describe and figure a new subspecies of the rare and protected steppe ground beetle Carabus (Tomocarabus) bessarabicus Fischer von Waldheim, 1823, named tangra. Carabus bessarabicus tangra subsp. n. was collected from the Chepan Planina and Tri Ushi Mountains in Bulgaria, where some preserved steppe refugia and peculiar faunistic complexes seem to exist. The established new steppe stenobiont subspecies is significantly distant and isolated from the modern limits of the species range by more than 1000 km. The significant morphological differences and the range of C. bessarabicus tangra suggest that its potential separation as species is very probable and should be confirmed with genetic studies.

Key words
Bulgaria, Carabus, ground beetles, new taxon, steppe fauna, taxonomy

How to Cite
Teofilova T., Rapuzzi I. & Kodzhabashev N. 2025. Carabus (Tomocarabus) bessarabicus tangra (Coleoptera: Carabidae): a New Subspecies from the Karst Steppe Refugia of the Chepan Planina and Tri Ushi Mountains in Central-Western Bulgaria. Acta zoologica bulgarica 77 (1) 3-12.

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