Fauna and Zoogeography of Jewel Beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Bulgaria

Abstract

The Bulgarian fauna of jewel beetles (Buprestidae) was analyzed according to area similarity and taxonomic structure, and compared to other European and Asian faunas. The Bulgarian fauna of Buprestidae belongs to the South European faunal complex as a part of East Balkan faunal type. The fauna includes 179 species and subspecies belonging to 22 zoogeographical categories, combined in ten zoogeographical complexes. The general appearance of the Bulgarian buprestid fauna is determined by the taxa of Mediterranean and European complexes with relatively narrow ranges (ca. 60 % of all species and subspecies). Affinity of Bulgarian jewel beetle fauna to the East Balkan faunal type is also demonstrated by the presence of five species and subspecies endemic for this region. The recent Bulgarian fauna has been formed mainly during Pleistocene and Holocene by autochthonous and allochthonous elements. Some of the endemics, subendemics, and East Mediterranean taxa, with their possible center of speciation in the eastern part of Balkan Peninsula, could be autochthonous for Bulgaria. Allochthonous elements colonized Bulgaria during preglacial, glacial, and postglacial periods. Our zoogeographical results demonstrate four main routes of buprestid colonization in Bulgaria: from the Ancient Mediterranean (especially East Mediterranean), Central European, Boreal, and Eurasian Steppe centers of speciation