New records of fifteen species of Fulgoromorpha (Insecta: Hemiptera) in Bulgaria

Abstract Background Bulgarian planthopper fauna (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) are relatively well studied, with 164 known species from 77 genera and 11 families. Data for some species from previous studies were reported without any localities or were incomplete and need to be updated. New information In the present study, 13 species of planthoppers are recorded for the first time in Bulgaria - Hyalesthesmlokosiewiczi Signoret, 1879 (Cixiidae), Delphaxarmeniacus Anufriev, 1970, Euidesspeciosa (Boheman, 1845), Eurysulalurida (Fieber, 1866), Florodelphaxparyphasma (Flor, 1861), Jassidaeuslugubris (Signoret, 1865), Metropisaris Asche, Drosopoulos & Hoch, 1983, Oncodelphaxpullula (Boheman, 1852), Ribautodelphaximitans (Ribaut, 1953), R.pungens (Ribaut, 1953), Stenocranusmajor (Kirschbaum, 1868) (Delphacidae), Latilicamaculipes (Melichar, 1906) and Tshurtshurnellaextrema Dlabola, 1980 (Issidae). Species from the following five genera are recorded in Bulgaria for the first time: Euides Fieber, 1866, Eurysula Vilbaste, 1968, Jassidaeus Fieber, 1866, Oncodelphax Wagner, 1963 (Delphacidae) and Latilica Emeljanov, 1971 (Issidae). As a result, the total numbers of known planthopper species and genera in Bulgaria become 177 species and 82 genera. The dataset of all collected specimens presented in this work was provided separately through Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Detailed distribution of the species and comments on those from the European Red Lists are also provided.


Introduction
Fulgoromorpha (planthoppers) are hemimetabolous insects belonging to the order Hemiptera. They are widespread throughout the world, but most families are richer in the tropics. About 14,000 species of fulgoromorphs have been described worldwide, belonging to 36 families (including fossils) (Bourgoin 2022) and about 730 species from 13 families are known in Europe (Hoch 2013). In Bulgaria, as well as on the Balkan Peninsula as a whole, insects of the infraorder Fulgoromorpha have been insufficiently studied from faunal, taxonomic and biological points of view. Data from older studies are incomplete and often need to be confirmed. There are no faunal lists, monographs, identification keys or other overview publications for Bulgaria. This, as well as the economic importance of the group, necessitates a comprehensive and up-to-date study of the Fulgoromorpha species in Bulgaria.

Materials and methods
The material was collected in Bulgaria between 2003 and 2021 by using sweeping nets and light towers. After collection, they were preserved in dry conditions on cotton mattresses. The specimens were dry-mounted on paper boards after humidification. Dissections were performed when necessary for identification and the dissected genitalia were glued to the boards. Due to the lack of identification keys for Balkan Fulgoromorpha, identification data were used from various publications (Holzinger et al. 2003, Biedermann and Niedringhaus 2009, Emeljanov 2015. The specimens are digitised and stored at the Zoological Collection of Sofia University (BFUS). The dataset of all records presented in this work has been published separately through Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (Gjonov 2022). Each entry of the dataset includes a single collection specimen with individual collection number, geospacial information, date of collecting, storing collection and taxonomic affiliation.
Detailed distribution of the species and comments on those from the European Red Lists are also provided. The following abbreviations concerning conservation status of the species where used: CR -Critically Endangered (IUCN) and category "2" in German Red Lists, EN -Endangered (IUCN) and category "2" in German Red Lists, VU -Vulnerable and category "V" in German Red Lists.

Dictyophara pannonica (Germar, 1830)
Distribution: Italy (doubtful) (D'Urso 1995, Lessio and Alma 2008), Slovakia (Dlabola 1977), Hungary , Romania (Orosz and Tóth 2016), Bulgaria (Nast 1987), Russia (South European Russia, Western Siberia), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia (Mitjaev 2015), Ukraine (Logvinenko 1975), Georgia (Dlabola 1958), Turkey (Dlabola 1957), NW China (Song and Liang 2008  As a result of the study, the total numbers of known planthopper species, genera and families in Bulgaria are now 177, 82 and 13, respectively. Although the diverse Fulgoromorpha fauna in Bulgaria has been reported so far, at least fifteen more species are expected to be discovered. The new data significantly expand the known ranges of several species, such as H. mlokosiewichi, O. pullula, D. armenicaus and T. extrema. The easternmost distribution of H. mlokosiewichi (which has been found for the first time on the Balkan Peninsula) and the southernmost distribution of O. pullula have been established. The species D. armenicaus, which has been found mainly in Central Asia and the Caucasus, but is also known in Greece, is found on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. T. extrema was first recorded outside of Anatolia, along with the first data on its host plant.
Seven of the listed species have conservation status in Central Europe, where such assessments have been carried out. The conservation status of most of the other species has never been evaluated as they are not spread in the countries where such assessments were carried out. This emphasises the need to assess the conservation status of Fulgoromorpha in Bulgaria.