Teodora Teofilova

Confirmation of the presence of the steppe ground beetle Amara equestris pastica Dejean, 1831 (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Bulgaria with notes on its taxonomic status

Abstract Amara (Percosia) equestris pastica Dejean, 1831 (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is a rare beetle found through the dry steppes of Southeastern Europe. This study represents a confirmation of this steppe ground beetle in Bulgaria. The subspecies has been initially reported in 1899 (as a distinct species), but it was subsequently excluded from the Bulgarian fauna. Recently, it was collected in June–November 2022, in pitfall traps from two localities in central-western Bulgaria, situated in the Mountains of Golo Bardo (part of the Kraishte Region) and Tri Ushi (part of the Western Stara Planina Mts.). In addition, some other members of the family, established during the same study, were also reported. A relatively low anthropogenic load in the studied habitats seems to be crucial for the survival of the vulnerable steppe fauna, A. equestris pastica in particular.

Doi https://doi.org/10.35513/21658005.2023.2.6

Keywords Amara equestris pastica; carabids; Bulgaria; distribution; steppe fauna

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