Bumblebees (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in Bulgaria

Bumblebees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Bombus) are important pollinators. Thirty-five bumblebee species belonging to 11 subgenera occur in Bulgaria according to 42 scientific papers. In the current study the reported species names were updated according to the current taxonomy of the group (Williams 2019) The data about their localities in Bulgaria were systematized by geographical regions in order to summarize and facilitate the use of this information for future research. Most of the records of bumblebee species refer to the mountains Rhodopes, Rila, Western and Central Stara Planina, Vitosha and Slavyanka. Additionally, 22 species were identified based on 553 specimens (103 queens, 180 males and 270 workers) from the Zoological collection of Sofia University (BFUS). The richest in species were the subgenera Thoracobombus Dalla Torre, Psithyrus Lepeletier and Pyrobombus Dalla Torre. New distribution records were shown for the Western and Eastern Stara Planina Mts, Sofia plain, Lozen Mt., Northern and Southern Black Sea coast. However, geographical regions such as Plana Mt., Ruy Mt., Verila Mt., Kraishte, Vlachina Mt., Ograzhden Mt., the Sub-Balkan Basins and the Mesta River valley have not been studied and are without any available data on bumblebees