Vol. 77 (2) 2025
ARTICLES
Fauna, Distribution and Areographical Structure of the Dipterans (Insecta: Diptera) from the High Bulgarian Mountains
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
Abstract
A total of 3604 dipteran species of 94 families have been established in the investigated mountains so far. Family Tachinidae is the most numerous (297 species), followed by Agromyzidae (255 species) and Mycetophilidae (244 species). The greatest number of species have been found in the Stara Planina Mts. (1723 species) and the mesophilic and xeromesophilic mixed forests belt (2525 species). The faunistic similarity between the mountains and the vegetation belts is scrutinised. The established species belong to 140 areographical categories, divided into two main groups: 1) species with Mediterranean type of distribution (247 species or 6.9% of all Bulgarian dipterans) – more thermophilic and distributed mainly in the southern parts of the Palaearctic and the low parts of the mountains; 2) species with Palaearctic and Eurosiberian type of distribution (3281 species – 91.0%) – more eurybiontic and more widely distributed in the Palaearctic and mountains. The endemic species are 76 (2.1%). The distribution of the areographical categories in the mountains and the vegetation belts is analysed.
Key words
Diptera, Bulgarian high mountains, taxonomic composition, areography
How to Cite
Hubenov Z. 2025. Fauna, Distribution and Areographical Structure of the Dipterans (Insecta: Diptera) from the High Bulgarian Mountains. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 77 (2): 149-172.
References
- Bechev D. 2006. The fungus gnats of the families Bolitophilidae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae and Keroplatidae (Diptera: Sciaroidea) of Bulgaria. Scientific Studies of the University of Plovdiv, Biology, Animalia 42: 21-83.
- Bechev D. 2010. On the family Mycetophilidae (Insecta: Diptera) in Bulgaria. ZooNotes, Supplement 1: 1-72.
- 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: 169-179.
- Beron P. 1969. Sur les éléments boréo-alpins de la faune Bulgare. Bulletin de l’Institut de zoologique et Musée 30: 115-132.
- Beron P. 2022. High-mountain terrestrial fauna in Bulgaria. Bureschiana series of monographs 2. Sofia, Prof. Marin Drinov Publishing House of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. 288 p.
- Beschovski V. 1985. Fauna bulgarica. 14. Grass flies (Diptera, Chloropidae). Sofia, Editio Academica. 220 p. (In Bulgarian).
- Beschovski V. 2009. Fauna bulgarica. 28. Insecta: Diptera: Ephydridae, Tethinidae, Canacidae. Sofia, Editio Academica “Professor Marin Drinov”. 423 p. (In Bulgarian).
- Beschovski V. 2013. Catalogus faunae bulgaricae. 8. Carnoidea. Insecta: Diptera Brachycera Acaliptratae, Sofia, Editio Academica “Professor Marin Drinov”. 152 p.
- Beschovski V. & Hubenov Z. 1986. Die Insekten von der Familie Tachinidae (Diptera) in den Submediterranbiotopen Südwestbulgariens. I. Artenbestand und zoogeographische Charakteristik der Tachinidae im Tal zwischen Sandanski und Petrič. In: Botev B., V. Golemanski, V. Beschovski and V. Georgiev (eds.): Fauna of Southwestern Bulgaria. 1. Sofia, Publishing house of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 118-129. (In Bulgarian with German summary).
- Bozhkov D. 1959. Beitrag zur Erforschung der Stechmückenfauna im Rhodopen- und Rilagebirge. Bulletin de l’Institut zoologque de l’Academie Bulgare des Sciences 8: 109-119. (In Bulgarian with German summary).
- Bozhkov D. 1967. Stechmücken aus dem westlichen Balkangebirge. Bulletin de l’Institut de zoologie et musée 25: 41-64. (In Bulgarian with German summary).
- Bozhkov 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).
- Bozhkov D. 1991. Kravosmucheshtite komari [The blood-sucking mosquitoes]. Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. 223 p. (In Bulgarian).
- Buresch I. & Arndt W. 1926. Die Glazialrelicte stellenden Tierarten Bulgariens und Mazedoniens. Zeitshrift für Morphologie und Ökologie der Tiere 5 (3): 381-405.
- Černý M., Barták M., Kubík Š. & Vála M. 2022. New records of Agromyzidae (Diptera) from Bulgaria. Zootaxa 5175 (4): 401-438. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5175.4.1
- Crosskey R. W. & White G. B. 1977. The Afrotropical Region. A recommended term in zoogeography. Journal of Natural History, 11: 541-544.
- Czekanowski J. 1909. Zur Differentiadiagnose der Neandertalgruppe. Korrespondenzblatt der deutschen Gesellschaft für Anthropologie, Ethnologie und Urgeschichte 40: 44-47.
- Darlington P. 1957. Zoogeography. New York, Wiley. 675 p.
- Dice L. 1945. Measures of the amount of ecologic association between species. Ecology 26 (3): 297-302.
- Dimitrova B. 1989. Faunistic, zoogeographical and environmental studies of the subfamily Cecidomyiinae (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) of the Vitosha Mt. Ph.D. thesis, Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. 174 p. (In Bulgarian).
- 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).
- 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).
- Drensky P. 1934. Die Fliegen der Familie Syrphidae (Dipt.) in Bulgarien. Mitteilungen der Bulgarischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft in Sofia 8: 109-131. (In Bulgarian with German sumarry).
- 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).
- 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).
- Emeljanov A. F. 1974. Proposal on the classification and nomenclature of areals. Entomologicheskoe obozrenie 53 (3): 497-522. (In Russian with English summary).
- Ficetola G., Mazel F. & Thuiller W. 2017. Global determinants of zoogeographical boundaries. Nature Ecology & Evolution 1 (0089): 1-7.
- Ganeva D. 2005. 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), 397-403.
- Ganeva D. 2006. Tabanids (Tabanidae, Diptera) of the Bulgarian pert of the Rhodopes. In: Beron P. (Ed.). Biodiversity of Bulgaria. 3. Biodiversity of Western Rhodopes (Bulgaria and Greece) 1. Sofia, Pensoft & National Museum of Natural History, 719-728.
- Ganeva D. 2009a. The tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) from the Belassitsa Mountain, Bulgaria. Agricultural Science and Technology 1: 30-32.
- Ganeva D. 2009b. New data on tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) from Slavyanka Mts., Bulgaria. Comptes rendus de l’Académie bulgare des sciences 62 (3): 365-366.
- Ganeva D. 2017. Horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in the Rila Mts., Bulgaria. Acta zoologica bulgarica, Supplement 8: 131-138.
- Georgiev G. & Hubenov Z. 2006. Vertical distribution and zoogeographical characteristics of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) family in Bulgaria. Acta zoologica bulgarica 58 (3): 315-343.
- Geptner V. 1936. Obshtaya zoogeografiya. Moscow, Biomedgiz. 548 p. (In Russian).
- 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, 3-20. (In Russian).
- Grehan J. 1988. The natural biogeographic regions. Revista di Biologia – Biology Forum 81 (4): 569-575.
- Grehan J. 1993. Conservation biogeography and the biodiversity crisis: a global problem in space/time. Biodiversity Letters 1: 134-140.
- 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.
- Heiss E., Josifov M. 1990. Vergleichende Untersuchung über Artenspektrum, Zoogeographie und Ökologie der Heteropteren-Fauna in Hochgebirgen Österreichs und Bulgariens. Bericht des Naturwissenschaftlich-Medizinischen Vereins Innsbruck 77: 123-161.
- Hubenov Z. 1988. Species composition and zoogeographical characteristics of the family Tachinidae (Diptera) from the Slavjanka Mountain. Acta zoologica bulgarica 36: 17-30. (In Bulgarian with English summary).
- Hubenov Z. 1992. Artenbestand, Höhenverbreitung und zoogeographische Charakteristik der Familie Tachinidae (Diptera) aus dem Piringebirge. Acta zoologica bulgarica 44: 3-18.
- Hubenov Z. 1993. Höhenverbreitung der Familie Tachinidae (Diptera) in Bulgarien. Acta zoologica bulgarica 46: 24-38.
- Hubenov Z. 1995. Artenbestand, Vertikalverbreitung und zoogeographische Characteristik der Familie Tachinidae (Diptera) aus dem Belasiza-Gebirge. Acta zoologica bulgarica 48: 48-61.
- Hubenov Z. 1996. Zoogeographische Charakteristik der bulgarischen Raupenfliegen (Diptera, Tachinidae). Historia Naturalis bulgarica 6: 49-58.
- Hubenov Z. 1997. Possibilities for using of a system from the really defined natural territories for the faunistic researches in Bulgaria. Acta zoologica bulgarica 49: 5-9.
- Hubenov Z. 2008. Composition and zoogeographical characteristics of the family Tachinidae (Insecta: Diptera) in the Balkan countries. Acta zoologica bulgarica 60 (3): 243-265.
- Hubenov Z. 2015. Comparative zoogeographical review of the tachinid fauna (Diptera: Tachinidae) of the Belasitsa and Slavyanka mountains. Acta zoologica bulgarica 67 (3): 351-364.
- 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.
- Hubenov Z. 2018. The Dipterans (Insecta: Diptera) of the Vitosha Mountains. Historia naturalis bulgarica 26: 1-66.
- Hubenov Z. 2019. 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): 501-518.
- 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
- Hubenov Z. 2025. The Dipterans (Insecta: Diptera) of the Stara Planina Mountains. Acta zoologica bulgarica 77 (1): 23-39.
- Joakimoff D. 1899. Prinos kam faunata ot nasekomi na Rila planina [Contribution to the insect fauna of the Rila Mountain]. Periodichesko spisanie na Balgarskoto knizhovno druzhestvo v Sredets (Periodical Journal of the Bulgarian Literary Society in Sredets), 60: 858-884. (In Bulgarian).
- 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).
- 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).
- 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.
- Josifov M. 1999. Heteropterous insects in the Sandanski-Petrich Kettle, Southwestern Bulgaria. Historia naturalis bulgarica 10: 35-66.
- 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.
- 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.
- Kechev M., Naglis S. & Negrobov O. P. 2022. A new species Chrysotus hubenovi and new data on the family Dolichopodidae (Diptera) of Bulgaria. Zoosystematica Rossica 31 (1): 27-41.
- Kovachev S. 1975. Materialien über die Simuliidenfauna (Diptera, Simuliidae) der Rhodopen. In: La Faune des Rhodopes. Matériaux. Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. pp. 205-208. (In Bulgarian with German summary).
- Kovachev S. 2000. Qualitative structure and distribution of Black-flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) from high mountain streams of glacial origin in the Rila Mountains. In: Golemsnski V. & Naidenov W. (Eds.). Biodiversity and evolution of glacial water ecosystems in the Rila Mountains. Sofia, Institute of Zoology, BAS. pp. 67-74.
- Kovachev V. 1905. A Contribution to the study of the entomological fauna of Bulgaria. Godishnik na Rusenskata gimnaziya za uchebnata godina 1904-1905: 3-12. (In Bulgarian).
- 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).
- Kryzhanovsky O. 2002. Composition and distribution of entomofauna of the globe. Moscow, KMK. 237 p. (In Russian).
- Langourov M. 2001. Faunistic, ecological and zoogeographical studies of the family Phoridae (Diptera, Brachycera) of the Vitosha Mt. Ph.D. thesis, Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Institute of Zoology. 176 p. (In Bulgarian).
- Langourov M. 2021. Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) of Vitosha Mt (Bulgaria). Historia naturalis bulgarica 43 (1): 1-24.
- Lattin de G. 1967. Grundriss der Zoogeographie. Hochschullehrbücher für Biologie. 12. Jena, VEB Gustav Fischer Verlag. 602 p.
- Lopatin I. K. 1989. Zoogeography. Minsk: Vysheyshaya shkola. 392 p. (in Russian).
- Lâvčiev 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).
- 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).
- Lavčiev V. 2003. Catalogus faunae bulgaricae. 5. Diptera: Fannidae, Muscidae, Stomoxydidae. Sofia, Editio Academica “Professor Marin Drinov”. 78 p.
- Löw H. 1863. Ueber bei Sliwno im Balkan gefangene Dipteren. Wiener Entomologische Monatsschrift 7 (2): 33-35.
- MacGowan I., Barták M. & Kubík Š. 2024. New records and an updated checklist of the family Lonchaeidae (Diptera) from Bulgaria. Acta zoologica bulgarica 76 (4):
- 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.
- Meunier F. 1897. Quelques mots sur les faunes Hyménoptérologiques et Diptérologiques de la Bulgarie septentrionale. Annales de la Societe des Sciences de Bruxelles 22: 348-350.
- Minchev N., Mihaylov Ts., Vaptsarov I. & Kiradzhiev S. 1980. Vrachanska planina. In: Minchev N., Mihaylov Ts., Vaptsarov I. & Kiradzhiev S. (Eds.). Geografski rechnik na Balgaria. Sofia, Nauka i izkustvo, p. 119. (In Bulgarian).
- Müller P. 1980. Biogeographie. Stuttgart, Ulmer. 414 p.
- Nedelkov N. 1909. Nashata entomologichna fauna [Our entomological fauna]. Arhiv na Ministerstvoto na narodnoto prosveshtenie 1 (3): 83-135. (In Bulgarian).
- Nedelkov N. 1912. Sixth contribution to the entomological fauna of Bulgaria. Revue de l’Academie Bulgare des Sciences 2: 177-218. (In Bulgarian).
- Nikolov V., Yordanova M. & Boteva I. 2013. The mountains in Bulgaria. Prof. M. Drinov Academic publishing house, 432 p. (In Bulgarian).
- Popov A. 2002. Zoogeographical analysis of Neuroptera in Bulgaria. Acta zoologica hungarica 48 (Suppl. 2): 271-180.
- Procheş Ş. & Ramdhani S. 2012. The World’s zoogeographical regions confirmed by cross-taxon analyses. BioScience 62 (3): 260-270.
- 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.
- Stoichev S. 2000a. The zoobenthos from several glacial lakes in the Rila Mountains, Bulgaria. In: Golemsnski V., Naidenov W. (Eds.). Biodiversity and evolution of glacial water ecosystems in the Rila Mountains. Sofia, Institute of Zoology, BAS. 155-162.
- Stoichev S. 2000b. Zoobenthos in outflows of some glacial lakes in the Rila Mountains. In: Golemsnski V., Naidenov W. (Eds.). Biodiversity and evolution of glacial water ecosystems in the Rila Mountains. Sofia, Institute of Zoology, BAS. 163-168.
- Stoichev S. 2002. Hydrofaunistic investigation of the Urdini Ezera Glacial Lakes, Northwestern Rila Mountains, West Bulgaria. Acta zoologica bulgarica 54 (1): 63-68.
- Stoichev S. 2004. The benthic Invertebrates in the Marichini Ezera Glacial Lakes, Eastern Rila Mountains, South-Wewst Bulgaria. Acta zoologica bulgarica 56 (1): 277-282.
- Stoichev S. & Chernev N. 2001. On the Chironomid fauna from Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River (Rila Mountain, Southwest Bulgaria. Lauterbornia 40: 119-121.
- Stoichev S. & Danova E. 2003. Hydrofaunistic investigation of the Mussalenski Ezera Glacial Lakes, Eastern Rila Mountains, South-Wewst Bulgaria. Acta zoologica bulgarica, 55 (2): 75-80.
- Udvardi M. 1975. A classification of the Biogeographical Provinces of the World. Morges, IUCN Paper 18. 49 p.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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).
- Željazova M. 1975. Raubfliegen (Diptera, Asilidae) aus den Rhodepen. In: La Faune des Rhodopes. Matériaux. Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. 197-204. (In Bulgarian with German summary).


