@article {3030, title = {New and little-known ant species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Bulgaria}, journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal }, volume = {10: e83658}, year = {2022}, pages = {1-17}, abstract = {

Many faunistic studies on the myrmecofauna of Bulgaria have been carried out, and about
180 ant species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from 43 genera and 6 subfamilies have been
discovered as a result. Although the Bulgarian ant fauna is considered to be relatively well
studied, the finding of unrecorded species continues, especially among the rare social
parasites and the species with a more southern distribution in the Balkans.

The current study presents data on 11 ant species recorded for the first time in Bulgaria (
Messor hellenius Agosti \& Collingwood, 1987, M. mcarthuri Steiner et al., 2018,
Crematogaster ionia Forel, 1911, Monomorium monomorium Bolton, 1987, Temnothorax
aeolius (Forel, 1911), T. cf. exilis (form darii Forel, 1911), T. finzii (Menozzi, 1925), T. rogeri
Emery, 1869, Tetramorium cf. punicum, Plagiolepis xene St\ärcke, 1936 and Lasius reginae
Faber, 1967), as well as new locality data on 15 rarely found species. Some of the species,
such as Hypoponera eduardi, Strumigenys argiola, Temnothorax graecus, Tetramorium
diomedeum, Camponotus tergestinus, and C. ionius, have been known so far only from a
single locality in Bulgaria.
The dataset of all records presented in this work was published separately through Global
Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF, https://doi.org/10.15468/mngbzp).

}, author = {Lapeva-Gjonova A. and Borowiec, Lech} } @article {2377, title = {Turning one into five: Integrative taxonomy uncovers complex evolution of cryptic species in the harvester ant Messor {\textquotedblleft}structor{\textquotedblright}}, journal = {Soil Organisms}, volume = {92}, year = {2018}, pages = {15-94}, author = {Steiner, Florian M. and Cs{\H o}sz, S{\'a}ndor and Mark{\'o}, B{\'a}lint and Gamisch, Alexander and Rinnhofer, Lukas and Folterbauer, Clemens and Hammerle, Sarina and Stauffer, Christian and Arthofer, Wolfgang and Schlick-Steiner, Birgit C.} } @article {2377, title = {A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic members of the subgenus Lasius s.str. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)}, journal = {Soil Organisms}, volume = {92}, year = {2020}, pages = {15-94}, author = {Seifert, Bernhard} } @article {2984, title = {The role of ant nests in European ground squirrel{\textquoteright}s (Spermophilus citellus) post-reintroduction adaptation in two Bulgarian mountains}, journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal}, volume = {7}, year = {2019}, pages = {1-10}, author = {Kachamakova, M. and Antonova, V. and Koshev, Y.} } @article {2982, title = {Red wood ants in Bulgaria: distribution and density related to habitat characteristics}, journal = {Journal of Hymenoptera Research}, volume = {85}, year = {2021}, pages = {135{\textendash}159}, author = {Antonova, V. and Marinov, M. P.} } @article {2982, title = {Ant genus Strongylognathus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Bulgaria: a preliminary review}, journal = {Biodiversity Data Journal}, volume = {9}, year = {2021}, pages = {1-22}, author = {Lapeva-Gjonova, A. and Radchenko, A. G.} } @article {2685, title = {Taxonomic review of the Cataglyphis livida complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with a description of a new species from Iran}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {1010}, year = {2021}, pages = {117-131}, abstract = {

Cataglyphis\  fici sp.\  nov.,\  a\  member\  of\  the\  Cataglyphis\  livida\  complex,\  is\  described\  from\  the\  Estahban\  county of south-western Iran. The species is characterized by small body size and yellow to yellowish red body coloration with distinctly infuscated legs. Additionally, the taxonomic status of all known members of the Cataglyphis livida complex is updated. Cataglyphis lutea Pisarski, 1967, stat. rev. is raised to the species level and Cataglyphis viaticoides (Andr\é, 1881) is proposed as a senior synonym of Cataglyphis livida bulgarica\  Atanassov,\  1982,\  syn.\  nov.\  and\  Cataglyphis\  albicans\  mixtus\  (Forel,\  1895),\  syn.\  nov.\  Finally,\  a\  provisional key to members of the livida complex is provided.

}, keywords = {Cataglyphis, eastern Mediterranean, key to species, south-western Iran, taxonomy}, author = {Salata, Sebastian and Kiyani, Haniyeh and Minaei, Kambiz and Borowiec, Lech} } @article {2686, title = {First Records of Two Strumigenys Ant Species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Bulgaria}, journal = {Sociobiology}, volume = {67}, year = {2020}, pages = {326-329 }, abstract = {

The Strumigenys ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are poorly studied in Bulgaria due to their small size and cryptic lifestyles. To date, only one species, S. baudueri (Emery, 1875), has been reported from a collecting site in the East Rhodopi Mountains (South Bulgaria). Herein we provide the fi rst records of another two species in Bulgaria: S. argiola (Emery, 1869) (Northeast Bulgaria) and S. tenuipilis Emery, 1915 (South Pirin Mountain). Scanning electron microscope micrographs of both species are also provided.

}, keywords = {Attini, Balkan Peninsula, Myrmicinae, new records}, author = {Lapeva-Gjonova, Albena and Ljubomirov, Toshko} } @article {2428, title = {Socially parasitic ants of Greece.}, journal = {Biologia Gallo-Hellenica}, volume = {20}, year = {1993}, pages = {183{\textendash}189}, author = {Buschinger A. and Douwes P.} } @article {2423, title = {The slave-making ant genus Chalepoxenus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). I. Review of literature, range, slave species.}, journal = {Zoologische Jahrb{\"u}cher. Abteilung f{\"u}r Systematik, {\"O}kologie und Geographie der Tiere}, volume = {115}, year = {1988}, pages = {383{\textendash}401}, author = {Buschinger A. and Ehrhardt W. and Fischer K. and Ofer J.} } @article {2383, title = {Three species of Aphaenogaster Mayr, 1853 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) new to the Bulgarian fauna}, journal = {Acta Zoologica Bulgarica}, volume = {71}, year = {2019}, pages = {613-616}, abstract = {

Three new species of the family Formicidae (Hymenoptera) are recorded for the first time from Bul-
garia: Aphaenogaster festae Emery, 1915 (East Rhodopes), Aphaenogaster radchenkoi Kiran \& Tezcan,
2008 (South Pirin and Struma Valley) and Aphaenogaster subterraneoides Emery, 1881 (North Black Sea
coast, Eastern Rhodopes and Sakar Mt.). The present record of A. radchenkoi is the first for Europe and
the occurrence of A. festae establishes its northern range border in Bulgaria. A list of 23 species recorded
in Bulgaria after publishing its catalogue of ant species in 2010 is presented.

}, keywords = {Aphaenogaster, Bulgaria, Formicidae, new records}, author = {Borowiec, Lech and Lapeva-Gjonova, Albena and Salata, Sebastian} } @article {2377, title = {A taxonomic revision of the members of the Camponotus lateralis species group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Europe, Asia Minor and Caucasia}, journal = {Soil Organisms}, volume = {91}, year = {2019}, pages = {7-32}, author = {Seifert, Bernhard} } @article {2376, title = {Description of Plagiolepis perperamus, a new species from east-Mediterranean and redescription of Plagiolepis pallescens Forel, 1889 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)}, journal = {Annales Zoologici (Warszawa)}, volume = {68}, year = {2018}, pages = {809-824}, abstract = {

A taxon considered in past years as P. pallescens sensu Radchenko is described as a new species: Plagiolepis perperamus sp. nov. based on material from Eastern Mediterranean. Its morphological separation from P. schmitzii Forel, 1895, the second species characterized by dense gaster setosity, is supported by study on their environmental niches. Plagiolepis pallescens Forel, 1889 is redescribed based on type specimens and material collected from various localities spread within Balkans. Its taxonomical status is clarified and a definition of a \‘pallescens group\’ is improved and supplemented. Plagiolepis maura var. taurica Santschi, 1920 and Plagiolepis maura var. ancyrensis Santschi, 1920 are synonymized with Plagiolepis pallescens Forel, 1889.

}, keywords = {Ecological Niche Modelling INTRODUCTION, Formicidae, Formicinae, Mediterranean Region, Plagiolepidini}, author = {Salata, Sebastian and Borowiec, Lech and Radchenko, Alexander G} } @article {2056, title = {Three Turano-European species of the Temnothorax interruptus group (Hymeno ptera: Formicidae) demonstrated by quantitative morphology}, journal = {Myrmecological News}, volume = {26}, year = {2018}, pages = {119}, chapter = {101}, keywords = {Morphometrics; species delimitation; exploratory analyses; gap statistic; biogeography; new species}, author = {Cs{\H o}sz, S{\'a}ndor and Salata, Sebastian and Borowiec, Lech} } @article {2055, title = {Light at the end of the tunnel: Integrative taxonomy delimits cryptic species in the Tetramorium caespitum complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)}, journal = {Myrmecological News}, volume = {25}, year = {2017}, pages = {129}, chapter = {95}, author = {Wagner, Herbert C. and Arthofer, W. and Seifert, B. and Muster, C. and Steiner, F. M. and Schlick-Steiner, B. C.} } @article {2054, title = {Two new species of the "ultimate" parasitic ant genus Teleutomyrmex KUTTER, 1950 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Western Palaearctic}, journal = {Myrmecological News}, volume = {25}, year = {2017}, pages = {155}, chapter = {145}, abstract = {

Two new \"ultimate\" parasitic ant species, Teleutomyrmex seiferti KIRAN \& KARAMAN sp.n. and Teleutomyrmex buschingeri LAPEVA-GJONOVA sp.n., are described from one site each in Turkey and Bulgaria. The hosts belong to Tetra- morium cf. chefketi FOREL, 1911. The findings increase the number of described Teleutomyrmex species to four.

}, keywords = {Taxonomy; ants; Formicidae; Teleutomyrmex; social parasites; new species; Turkey; Bulgaria}, author = {Kiran, Kadri and Karaman, Celal and Lapeva-Gjonova, Albena and Aksoy, Volkan} } @article {2002, title = {Inconvenient hyperdiversity {\textendash} the traditional concept of {\textquotedblleft}Pheidole pallidula{\textquotedblright} includes four cryptic species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)}, journal = {Soil orranisms}, volume = {88}, year = {2016}, pages = {17}, chapter = {1}, author = {Seifert, Bernhard} } @article {1933, title = {Myrmica vandeli Bondroit (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - a new ant species for Bulgaria}, journal = {Acta Zoologica Bulgarica}, volume = {57}, year = {2005}, pages = {126}, chapter = {123}, author = {Anna M. Stankiewicz and Vera Antonova} } @article {1932, title = {Towards DNA-aided biogeography: An example from Tetramorium ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)}, journal = { Ann. Zool. Fennici}, volume = {42}, year = {2005}, pages = {35}, chapter = {23}, author = {Florian M. Steiner and Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner and Matthias Sanetra and Toshko Ljubomirov and Vera Antonova and Erhard Christian and Christian Stauffer} } @article {1931, title = {First record of Myrmica rugulososcabrinodis Karawajew (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) for Bulgaria}, journal = {Myrmecologische Nachrichten}, volume = {6}, year = {2004}, pages = {21}, chapter = {19}, author = {Radchenko, Alexander G and Antonova, Vera} } @article {1930, title = {Collapse of the invasive garden ant, Lasius neglectus, populations in four European countries}, journal = {Biological invasions}, volume = {18}, year = {2016}, pages = {3131}, chapter = {3127}, abstract = {

The invasive garden ant Lasius neglectus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) has been spreading rapidly in Europe ever since the 1990s. This ant established enormous supercolonies in many European cities and poses a serious threat to the local native faunas. The spread of this species has not slowed down in the last decades, but in the recent years the sizes of the known L. neglectus populations have generally been declining or have stagnated. For 29 supercolonies checked in four countries, in 10 cases L. neglectus individuals have not been found on the former area of their occurrence. On the other hand, only two supercolonies have expanded. In this paper, we summarize these monitoring data collected by the personal independent, diligent monitoring activities of myrmecologists on populations of the invasive garden ant in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Spain. The reasons for this collapse are thought to be: (1) depletion of the local resources, (2) gradation of pathogens and (social)parasites, (3) climatic factors, (4) intra-population mechanisms, (5) confrontation with highly competitive native species, and (6) lack of suitable nesting microhabitats. As similar phenomena were observed in the cases of supercolonies of other invasive ant species, it seems that they decline more generally than has been thought.

}, author = {Andr{\'a}s Tartally and Vera Antonova and Xavier Espadaler and S{\'a}ndor Cs{\H o}sz and Wojciech Czechowski} } @article {1897, title = {The Westpalaearctic Lasius paralienus complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) contains three species}, journal = {Zootaxa}, volume = {4132}, year = {2016}, pages = {58}, chapter = { 44}, abstract = {

Application of Numeric Morphology-Based Alpha-Taxonomy (NUMOBAT) demonstrated the existence of three cryptic species within the Westpalaearctic Lasius paralienus species complex: L. paralienus Seifert, 1992, having a wider European distribution north to Sweden, L. casevitzi sp. nov., an endemic of Corsica, and Lasius bombycina sp. nov. from southeast Central Europe, the Balkans and Asia Minor. Hierarchical NC-Ward clustering and non-hierarchical NC-k-means clustering of 16 morphological characters resulted in 98.7\% identical classifications within 76 examined nest samples of the three species. The classification error in 180 worker individuals was 0\% in a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and 1.3\% in a LOOCV-LDA. Differential characters to other species groups and an identification key of the six European members of the Lasius alienus F\örster species group are provided.

}, keywords = {endemic, morphometry, nest centroid clustering, Numeric morphology-based alpha-taxonomy, sister species}, author = {Seifert, Bernhard and Galkowski, Christophe} } @article {1807, title = {Taxonomic Synopsis of the Ponto-Mediterranean Ants of Temnothorax nylanderi Species-Group}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {10}, year = {2015}, abstract = {

In the current revisionary work, the Temnothorax nylanderi species-group of myrmicine ants is characterized. Eighteen species belonging to this group in the Ponto-Mediterranean region are described or redefined based on an integrative approach that combines exploratory analyses of morphometric data and of a 658bp fragment of the mitochondrial gene for the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CO I). The species group is subdivided into five species complexes: T. angustifrons complex, T. lichtensteini complex, T. nylanderi complex, T. parvulus complex, T. sordidulus complex, and two species, T. angulinodis sp. n. and T. flavicornis (Emery, 1870) form their own lineages. We describe seven new species (T. angulinodis sp. n., T. angustifrons sp. n., T. ariadnae sp. n., T. helenae sp. n., T. lucidus sp. n., T. similis sp. n., T. subtilis sp. n.), raise T. tergestinus (FINZI, 1928) stat.n. to species level, and propose a new junior synonymy for T. saxonicus (SEIFERT, 1995) syn.n. (junior synonym of T. tergestinus). We describe the worker caste and provide high quality images and distributional maps for all eighteen species. Furthermore, we provide a decision tree as an alternative identification key that visually gives an overview of this species-group. We make the first application to Formicidae of the Semantic Phenotype approach that has been used in previous taxonomic revisions.

}, doi = {doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140000}, author = {Cs{\H o}sz, S{\'a}ndor and Heinze, J{\"u}rgen and Mik{\'o},Istv{\'a}n} } @article {1805, title = {Temnothorax crasecundus sp. n. {\textendash} a cryptic Eurocaucasian ant species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) discovered by Nest Centroid Clustering}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {479}, year = {2015}, pages = {37-64}, abstract = {

The paper integrates two independent studies of numeric morphology-based alpha-taxonomy of the cryptic ant species Temnothorax crassispinus (Karavajev, 1926) and T. crasecundus sp. n. conducted by different investigators, using different equipment, considering different character combinations and evaluating different samples. Samples investigated included 603 individual workers from 203 nests \– thereof 104 nest samples measured by Seifert and 99 by Cs\ösz. The material originated from Europe, Asia Minor and Caucasia. There was a very strong interspecific overlap in any of the 29 shape characters recorded and subjective expert determination failed in many cases. Primary classification hypotheses were formed by the exploratory data analysis Nest Centroid (NC) clustering and corrected to final species hypotheses by an iterative linear discriminant analysis algorithm. The evaluation of Seifert\’s and Cs\ösz\’s data sets arrived at fully congruent conclusions. NC-Ward and NC-K-means clustering disagreed from the final species hypothesis in only 1.9 and 1.9\% of the samples in Seifert\’s data set and by 1.1 and 2.1\% in Cs\ösz\’s data set which is a strong argument for heterospecificity. The type series of T. crassispinus and T. crasecundus sp. n. were allocated to different clusters with p = 0.9851 and p = 0.9912 respectively. The type series of the junior synonym T. slavonicus (Seifert, 1995) was allocated to the T. crassispinus cluster with p = 0.9927. T. crasecundus sp. n. and T. crassispinus are parapatric species with a long contact zone stretching from the Peloponnisos peninsula across Bulgaria northeast to the southern Ukraine. There is no indication for occurrence of interspecifically mixed nests or intraspecific polymorphism. However, a significant reduction of interspecific morphological distance at sites with syntopic occurrence of both species indicates local hybridization. The results are discussed within the context of the Pragmatic Species Concept of Seifert (2014). The taxonomic description and a differential diagnosis of T. crasecundus sp. n. are given.

}, keywords = {hybridization, intraspecific dimorphism, Numeric morphology-based alpha-taxonomy, parapatric species, Pragmatic Species Concept}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.479.8510}, author = {Seifert, Bernhard and Cs{\H o}sz, S{\'a}ndor} } @article {1803, title = {Classification of Ant Assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Green Areas of Sofia}, journal = {Acta Zoologica Bulgarica}, volume = {60, Suppl. 2}, year = {2008}, pages = {103-110}, abstract = {

The myrmecofauna of the green areas in Sofia City was extensively sampled by qualitative and quantitative methods to assess spatial variation in species composition of ant assemblages. The cluster analysis of the assemblages based on presence/absence data resulted in grouping into two main clusters: woody and open habitats. The assemblages of the open areas further divided into two groups: grassy habitats and artificial biotopes (asphalt coverings and agricultural land). Most of the assemblages in open areas clearly demonstrated the impact of urbanization by grouping into three main zones depending on the distance from the city centre: central, peripheral and rural.

}, keywords = {ants, cluster analyses, communities, urban ecology}, author = {Antonova, Vera and Penev, Lyubomir} } @article {1803, title = {Changes in the zoogeographical structure of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) caused by urban pressure in the Sofia region (Bulgaria)}, journal = {Myrmecological News}, volume = {8}, year = {2006}, pages = {271{\textendash}276}, abstract = {

A comparison of the zoogeographical peculiarities of the myrmecofauna in urban and non-urban habitats in Sofia region is performed. The proportion of the widespread Holarctic species was twice as high in the urban as compared to the non-urban sites. Also Euro-Caucasian elements are well represented in the urban sites. The share of South-Transpalaearctic, Eurasian steppe and Boreo-Montane elements is low or such elements are absent from the urban sites.

}, keywords = {ants, Bulgaria, Formicidae, urban landscape, zoogeography}, author = {Antonova, Vera and Penev, Lyubomir} } @article {1802, title = { First record of the slave-maker ant Harpagoxenus sublaevis (Nylander, 1849) from Bulgaria (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)}, journal = {Myrmecological News}, volume = {12}, year = {2009}, pages = {1-2}, abstract = {

Harpagoxenus sublaevis (Nylander, 1849) was found among ants taken in pitfall traps set in the Alibotoush Reserve, Slavjanka Mountain in southwestern Bulgaria. This species is new to the Bulgarian myrmecofauna that recently numbered about 130 species.

}, keywords = {Bulgaria, Formicidae, Harpagoxenus sublaevis, social parasite}, author = {Antonova, Vera} } @article {1798, title = {A provisional list of the Balkan ants (Hym. Formicidae) and a key to the worker caste. II. Key to the worker caste, including the European species without the Iberian.}, journal = {Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft}, volume = {60}, year = {1987}, pages = {261{\textendash}293}, author = {Agosti, Donat and Collingwood, Cedric A.} } @article {1798, title = {A provisional list of the Balkan ants (Hym. Formicidae) and a key to the worker caste. I. Synonymic list.}, journal = {Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft}, volume = {60}, year = {1987}, pages = {51-62}, author = {Agosti, Donat and Collingwood, Cedric A.} } @article {1797, title = {Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)}, journal = {Genus - Monograph}, volume = {25}, year = {2014}, month = {July/2014}, pages = {1-340}, abstract = {

Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent
regions is given with country data, list of synonyms, and comments. From the area 1261
species are rocorded. All infraspecific names, including subspecies names, are treated as
synonyms although in future studies many of them can be raised to species level. Table with
distribution of ant species in major regions of Europe and the Mediterranean Subregion is
presented. From Europe 622 species have been recorded, from North Africa 441, Middle
East 256, Turkey and transcaucasian countries 358, Iran 165, and Arabian Peninsula 304.

}, keywords = {Arabian Peninsula, catalogue, entomology, Europe, Formicidae, Mediterranean Basin, Middle East, zoogeography}, author = {Borowiec, Lech} } @article {1796, title = {Cryptic diversity in the Mediterranean Temnothorax lichtensteini species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)}, journal = {Organisms Diversity \& Evolution}, year = {2013}, pages = {1-14}, abstract = {

In this paper we provide insight into the cryptic diversity and biogeographic patterns of a widely distributed Mediterranean ant species, Temnothorax lichtensteini (Bondroit Annales de la Soci\ét\é Entomologique de France 87:1\–174, 1918), based on evidence from multiple data sources. An exploratory analysis of morphometric data, combined with sequencing of a 652 bp fragment of the mitochondrial gene for
the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CO I), indicates the existence of three distinct lineages. Divergence of two recognised genetic lineages, Western and Eastern Mediterranean clusters, is not reliably supported by confirmatory analysis of morphological data. We hypothesise that this reflects incomplete speciation in separate glacial refugia and therefore discuss only biogeographic aspects of these two parapatric populations. However, the third, Peloponnese, lineage is divergent in both morphology and CO I sequences and its separation from the other two lineages is convincingly confirmed. For this lineage we assume a completed speciation and describe the taxon formally as Temnothorax laconicus sp.n., the sister species of T. lichtensteini.

}, keywords = {Biogeography, Cryptic species, Exploratory data analysis, Integrative taxonomy, Morphometrics, taxonomy}, doi = {10.1007/s13127-013-0153-3}, author = {Cs{\H o}sz, S{\'a}ndor and Seifert, Bernhard and M{\"u}ller, Benedikt and Trindl, Andreas and Schulz, Andreas and Heinze, J{\"u}rgen} } @article {1795, title = {Ant fauna (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Strandzha (Istranca) Mountain and adjacent Black Sea coast}, journal = {North-Western Journal of Zoology}, volume = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {June 2012}, pages = {72-84}, abstract = {

The ant fauna of Strandzha (Istranca) Mountain and its Black Sea coast was investigated in both Bulgaria and Turkey. A total of 90 ant species were determined. Oxyopomyrmex krueperi Forel, 1911, Stenamma striatulum (Emery, 1895), Camponotus tergestinus M\üller, 1921 and C. universitatis Forel, 1890 were recorded for the first time in Bulgaria and 34 species are new for the Bulgarian part of Strandzha Mountain. Four ant species \– Temnothorax crassispinus (Karavaiev, 1926), T. interruptus (Schenck, 1852), Tetramorium hungaricum
(R\öszler, 1935) and Tapinoma madeirense Forel, 1895 are new for Turkey. Ten species were recorded for the first time from the European part of Turkey and 38 \– from the Turkish part of Strandzha Mountain. The zoogeographical composition and conservation status of threatened ant species are discussed.

}, keywords = {ants, Bulgaria, Formicidae, Istranca, Strandzha, Turkey}, author = {Lapeva-Gjonova, Albena and Kiran, Kadri} } @article {1794, title = {First Records of Temnothorax flavicornis (Emery, 1870) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Bulgaria and Turkey}, journal = {Acta Zoologica Bulgarica}, volume = {66}, year = {2014}, pages = {571-574}, abstract = {

The ant species Temnothorax flavicornis (Emery, 1870) was recently found in Bulgaria and Turkey. The Bulgarian samples were collected from two sites in the southern part of the country. Three localities of the species were detected in the European part of Turkey and in western Anatolia. These are the first reports of T. flavicornis from Bulgaria and Turkey, which indicates the expansion of the geographical range eastwards.

}, keywords = {ants, Bulgaria, distribution, Formicidae, Temnothorax flavicornis, Turkey}, author = {Lapeva-Gjonova, Albena and Kiran, Kadri and Karaman, Celal} } @article {1792, title = {First records of three ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Bulgaria}, journal = {Myrmecological News}, volume = {14}, year = {2011}, month = {January 2011}, pages = {1-3}, chapter = {1}, abstract = {

Three Mediterranean ant species \– Camponotus aegaeus EMERY, 1915, Camponotus gestroi EMERY, 1878 and Crematogaster auberti EMERY, 1869 \– were found on Bulgarian territory for the first time. The report of Camponotus aegaeus for Bulgaria is the first for continental Europe as well. The total number of known ant species for Bulgaria increases to more than 160.

}, keywords = {ants, Bulgaria, Camponotus, Crematogaster, Formicidae}, author = {Lapeva-Gjonova, Albena} } @article {1791, title = {Unusual Ant Hosts of the Socially Parasitic Ant Anergates atratulus (Schenck, 1852) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)}, journal = {Psyche}, volume = {2012}, year = {2012}, pages = {1-3}, chapter = {1}, abstract = {

The extreme inquiline ant Anergates atratulus (Schenck, 1852) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) was collected in ant nests of Tetramorium moravicum Kratochvil, 1941 in Bulgaria and of T. chefketi Forel, 1911 in Bulgaria and Turkey. The reported ant hosts belong to the Tetramorium chefketi species complex in contrast with the typical hosts from Tetramorium caespitum/impurum complex. This finding confirms the assumption that a broader range of host species for the socially parasitic species A. atratulus may be expected. Present data on the new host species expand knowledge about biology of this rare ant species, included in the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

}, doi = {10.1155/2012/391525}, author = {Lapeva-Gjonova, Albena and Kiran, Kadri and Aksoy, Volkan} } @article {1788, title = {The ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Plana Mountain (Bulgaria)}, journal = {Historia naturalis bulgarica}, volume = {20}, year = {2012}, pages = {101}, chapter = {87}, abstract = {

The paper presents the first detailed research of the ants (Formicidae) of Plana Mountain
(Western Bulgaria). A total number of 49 species were identified, 44 of which are new the studied
area. Tetramorium hungaricum (R\öszler, 1935) and Formica exsecta Nylander, 1846, reported from Plana
by other authors, were not found during the current research. The paper also provides a brief
zoogeographical analysis of the local ant fauna and a comparison with those of the adjacent Vitosha
and Lozen Mountains. Some habitat information and additional remarks are given as well.

}, keywords = {ants, distribution, Formicidae, Plana Mountain, zoogeography}, author = {Vagalinski, Boyan and Lapeva-Gjonova, Albena} } @article {1787, title = {Catalogue of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Bulgaria}, journal = {ZooKeys}, volume = {62}, year = {2010}, month = {15 October 2010}, pages = {124}, chapter = {1}, abstract = {

The present catalogue of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Bulgaria is made on a base of critical
reconsideration of literature (covering the period from 1892 till 2009 and part of 2010) as well as on
examination of the authors\&$\#$39; and several museum\&$\#$39;s collections. A lot of data were omitted in the previous
Bulgarian monograph on ants, lots of new data were recently added and many important additions and
alterations were made due to taxonomic revisions of Eurasian Formicidae during the last three decades.
Two new species are reported for the country [Temnothorax graecus (Forel, 1911) and Temnothorax cf. korbi
(Emery, 1924)].
This catalogue contains a list of 163 ant species belonging to 40 genera of 6 subfamilies now known
from Bulgaria. Synonyms and information on the previously reported names in relevant publications are
given. Known localities of the species are grouped by geographic regions. Maps with concrete localities or
regions for each species were prepared. The conservation status of 13 ant species is given as they are includ-
ed in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and Bulgarian Biodiversity Act. In comparison with adjacent
Balkan regions the ant fauna of Bulgaria is quite rich and its core is composed of South European elements.

}, keywords = {ants, Bulgaria, catalogue, conservation status, fauna, Formicidae, geographical distribution, new records}, author = {Lapeva-Gjonova, Albena and Antonova, Vera and Radchenko, Alexander G and Atanasova, Maria} }