Carabus variolosus (Fabricius, 1787) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Bulgaria: rediscovered after 111 years

Abstract

The rediscovery of the rare and endangered species Carabus (Hygrocarabus) variolosus is reported after its last record from 1909. The only known locality (Stara Planina Mts, Varshets Town) was confirmed. New records at similar habitats in the region could be expected in the future, based on extensive surveys with the proposed methods.

Museomics ofCarabusgiant ground beetles shows an Oligocene origin andin situAlpine diversification

“…These hygrophilous nocturnal species live in river banks and hunt close or in the water of cold forest streams. The two species are in relative allopatry with Carabus nodulosus Creutzer, 1799 being found from eastern France to Austria and western Balkans, and Carabus variolosus Fabricius, 1787 from Slovakia to Ukraine and Bulgaria (Kulijer 2019;Deuve 2021;Bekchiev et al 2022;Hristovski et al 2023). Despite the protection status of their habitat (Annexes II and IV of the European Union's Habitats Directive), these two species appear to be declining due to anthropogenic activities and their consequences (Tyszecka et al 2023).…”

“…These hygrophilous nocturnal species live in river banks and hunt close or in the water of cold forest streams. The two species are in relative allopatry with Carabus nodulosus Creutzer, 1799 being found from eastern France to Austria and western Balkans, and Carabus variolosus Fabricius, 1787 from Slovakia to Ukraine and Bulgaria (Kulijer 2019; Deuve 2021; Bekchiev et al . 2022; Hristovski et al .…”

Figure 5 from: Scaccini D, Bartolozzi L, Zilioli M, Di Giulio A, Ruzzier E (2024) Distribution of the genus Platycerus Geoffroy (Coleoptera, Lucanidae) in Italy. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e127088. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e127088

“…Despite P. caprea and P. caraboides being widely distributed in Europe, they are generally uncommon and even locally rare (e.g. Vit and Bartolozzi 2013, Bartolozzi et al 2016a, Bartolozzi et al 2016b, Alekseev 2018, Bartolozzi and Cianfanelli 2018, Bekchiev et al 2018, possibly due to the short flight period of the adults and their cryptic habits (Franciscolo 1997, Holuša et al 2006. In Italy, larvae of these two species live in deadwood, especially in hill and mountain forests across the Peninsula (e.g.…”

Road-killed ground beetles prove the presence of Carabus hungaricus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in North-Western Romania

“…In the vicinity of Romania, C. hungaricus was recorded in Ömböly in Hungary (Szél et al, 2006), Deliblato in Serbia (Breuning, 1932), Dragoman in Bulgaria (Hieke & Wrase, 1988;Geuorguiev & Geuorguiev, 1995), Codru Reserve in Moldova (Baban, 2015) and Khotyn National Park in Ukraine (Putchkov, 2009). In Bulgaria, there are other new records of C. hungaricus (Bekchiev et al, 2018). Probably, because it uses open habitats, C. hungaricus seems faster compared with other carabid species (Bérces & Růžičková, 2019).…”