University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski” Faculty of Biology, Department of Zoology

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ZOOLOGY

“50 YEARS DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY”

PROGRAMME & ABSTRACTS

October 8 – 10, 2012 Hissar, Bulgaria

Plovdiv University Press

ISBN 978-954-423-794-3

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FOREWORD

Dear colleagues and friends,

On behalf of the Department of Zoology and the Organizing Committee it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the International Conference on Zoology, organized on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Department of Zoology of University of Plovdiv.

We are happy that the Conference, with its location at the wonderful ancient town of Hissar, has attracted such an interest.

We have a delightful variety of presentations comprising the working program – in classical fields of research, such as taxonomy, systematics and ecological studies, as well as population genetics, molecular studies, zoomonitoring, physiology, transmissible diseases, pest control, conservation zoology.

We hope the Conference will be a great forum for dynamic exchange of information, ideas and recent scientific results into all fields of zoology and it will yield positive contacts and future collaboration for all participants.

We wish you fruitful work, success and a pleasant stay in beautiful Hissar and in Bulgaria!

Welcome! Assoc. Prof. Dr. Anelia Stojanova

Head of the Department of Zoology

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COMMITTEES

Organizing Committee

Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. Anelia Stojanova, University of Plovdiv, stanelia@uni-plovdiv.bg Ph.D., Assist. Prof. Hristo Dimitrov, University of Plovdiv, hr_dim@abv.bg M.Sc., Assist. Prof. Vesela Mitkovska, University of Plovdiv, vmitkovska@uni-plovdiv.bg Ph.D., Assist. Prof. Peter Boyadzhiev, University of Plovdiv, boyadz@uni-plovdiv.bg

Secretaries M.Sc., Assist. Prof. Gergana Stankova, University of Plovdiv, g_stankova@abv.bg B.Sc. Liliya Vodenicharova, University of Plovdiv, lily.djunova@abv.bg

Scientific Committee DSc Prof. Dimitar Bechev, University of Plovdiv DSc Academician Vassil Golemanski, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystems Research, BAS DSc Prof. Paraskeva Michailova, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystems Research, BAS DSc Prof. Georgi Markov, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystems Research, BAS DSc Prof. Venelin Beshovski, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystems Research, BAS Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. Tsenka Chassovnikarova, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystems Research, BAS DSc, Prof Iva Hristova, National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Ph.D., Assoc Prof. Nasko Atanasov, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystems Research, BAS MD Angel Kunchev, Ministry of Health, Republic of Bulgaria M.Sc., Viktor Ivanov, University of Plovdiv – Web design and Book design

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SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME

International Conference on Zoology “50 years Department of Zoology” October 8-10, 2012, Hissar, Bulgaria

Monday, 8 October 2012

14.00 – 18.00 Arrival, registration, posters set up. SPA Hotel “Hissar” 18.00 – 19.30 Welcome party at the Lobby bar, SPA Hotel “Hissar”

Tuesday, 9 October 2012

9.00 – 10.00 Opening. Maritsa hall in SPA Hotel “Hissar” 10.00 – 10.30 Plenary lecture: Extreme zoology – what is this and where we are?

DSc Academician Vassil Golemanski, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystems Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

10.30 – 11.00 Plenary lecture: Molecular analyses in mammals and birds: population genetics, phylogeography and conservation. Dr. habil. Frank E. Zachos, Natural History Museum, Vienna, Austria

POPULATION GENETICS AND MOLECULAR STUDIES (Maritsa hall)

Session chair: DSc Professor Paraskeva Michailova

11.00 – 11.15 Diapause-specific gene expression pattern in the fat body of European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Ž. Popović

11.15 – 11.30 Discrimination of the Orthocladiinae species (Diptera: Chironomidae) by using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I. A. Sari

11.30 – 11.45 Hidden biodiversity: the case of the chromosomal races of the Balkan endemic vole Microtus thomasi. M. Rovatsos

11.45 – 12.00 Allozyme variability in populations of Apis mellifera mellifera, A. m. carnica and A. m. caucasica from Poland. E. Ivanova

12.00 – 12.15 Genetic variability in silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) strains with different origin. T. Staykova

12.15 – 12.30 Modern technologies in molecular genetics. Instruments and applications in Bulgaria. M. Kicheva

12.30 – 13.00 coffee-break

ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY (Maritsa hall)

Session chair: Professor T. Zorenko

13.00 – 13.15 Fatty acid composition dynamics during diapause of European Corn Borer Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. (Lepidoptera: Pyrallidae). E. Vukašinović

13.15 – 13.30 The structure of spermatozoa in social voles subgenus Sumeriomys. T. Zorenko

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13.30 – 13.45 Fatty acid composition of Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) (Osteichthyes: Tetraodontidae). Z. U. Nurullahoğlu

13.45 – 14.00 Life on the see-saw: an insight into cell death control during larvaldiapause of the European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. Ž. Popović

BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION ZOOLOGY (Maritsa hall)

Session chairs: DSc Professor G. Markov and Professor M. Shishiniova

14.00 – 14.15 Species diversity of epigeobiont and geobiont animal groups from Strandzha Mountain. M. Shishiniova

14.15 – 14.30 Skull non-metrical features of the European water vole Arvicola amphibius from Hungary: cranial evidence for its geographic detachment. G. Markov

14.30 – 14.45 Changes in the aquatic communities in the Rhodopi Mountain Landslide Lakes (S. Bulgaria) for the last 40 years. I. Biodiversity of the macrozoobenthos, zooplankton and the fish communities. M. Pavlova

14.45 – 15.00 Diversity of Long-legged flies (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) in Gradina Floodplain forest, Bulgaria. M. Kechev

15.00 – 15.15 The golden jackal (Canis aureus L.) in Bulgaria: What is going on? G. Markov

15.15 – 15.30 Natural colonies of Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) in European Turkey and discussion on the chances of natural re-colonization of the species in Bulgaria. E. Kmetova

15.30 – 16.00 coffee-break

PARAZITOLOGY, TRANSMISSIBLE DISEASES AND PEST CONTROL (Maritsa hall)

Session chair: DSc Professor I. Hristova, MD

16.00 – 16.15 Genetic investigations of rodents for human pathogens. I. Christova 16.15 – 16.30 Impact of entomophages on density of Thaumetopoea pityocampa in egg

stage near Ivailovgrad, Bulgaria. G. Georgiev 16.30 – 16.45 Species composition, distribution and seasonal variations in the invasion of

domestic goats (Capra aegagrushircus) and sheep (Ovis aries) by ixodidae ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in the region of the town of Parvomai. A. Arnaudov

16.45 – 17.00 Outbreak of trichinellosis in Elin Pelin city January – March 2011. I. Rainova

17.00 – 18.30 Poster session, Trakiya hall in SPA Hotel “Hissar” 14.00 – 17.00 Seminar-training “Transmissible diseases”, Trakiya hall in SPA Hotel

“Hissar”

19.30 – Conference dinner, restaurant “Prestige” in SPA Hotel “Hissar”

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Wednesday, 10 October 2012

Maritsa hall

9.00 – 9.30 Plenary lecture: Polytene chromosomes and their significance for taxonomy, speciation and genotoxicology. DSc Professor Paraskeva Michailova. Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystems Research. Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

9.30 – 10.00 Plenary lecture: Research strategies to address the challenges related to the future of the environment. DSc Professor Georgi Markov, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystems Research, Bulgarian Academy of Science

ANIMAL ECOLOGY AND ZOOMONITORING (Maritsa hall)

Session chair: Professor R. Metcheva

10.00 – 10.15 Assessment of the sediment toxicity in Bulgarian and Turkish Rivers using the biomarkers in Chironomus riparius Mg. (Diptera, Chironomidae). M. Duran

10.15 – 10.30 Preliminary results on development of a chironomid based summer surface water temperature inference model for the Turkish lakes. G. Akyildiz

10.30 – 10.45 Ecological quality assessment of salmonid rivers in Bulgaria using ichthyologic parameters. L. Pehlivanov

10.45 – 11.00 Histopathological analysis of liver in fish population of reservoir “Tikves”. L. Velkova-Jordanoska

11.00 – 11.15 Effect of river fragmentations on the abundance and size structure of Barbus petenyi (Actinopterygii: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae), river Iskar, Bulgaria. E. Uzunova

11.15 – 11.30 Impact of Entomophaga maimaiga (Entomophtorales: Entomophtoraceae) on non-target phytophagous insects in oak forests of Bulgaria. M. Georgieva

11.30 – 11.45 Evaluation of the ecological status of two river ecosystems with different types of anthropogenic pollution in Southern Bulgaria based on the level of the fluctuating asymmetry in the populations of the marsh frog Rana ridibunda (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae). A. Arnaudov

11.45 – 12.00 Results from marking of Sandwich terns (Sterna sandvicensis) with colour rings and radio transmitters at Pomorie Lake. D. Popov

12.00 – 12.15 Data from Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus) tagged with GPS/GSM transmitters in Bulgaria. G. Gradev

12.15 – 12.30 Free-living rodents as bioindicators of genetic risk in Natural Park “Strandzha”. V. Mitkovska

12.30 – 12.45 East European Vole (Microtus levis Miller, 1908) – biomonitor for the heavy metals impact on the environment in Strandzha Mountain. H. Dimitrov

10.00 – 12.00 “Roundtable”, Trakiya hall in SPA Hotel “Hissar”

12.45 – 13.00 Closing the conference, Maritsa hall

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POSTER SESSION

P1 Application of variability of ITS1 sequences for studying biodiversity of some Black Sea representatives of Clupeidae family. Darinka Boyadzhieva-Doychinova, Feriha Myumyunova, Maria Gevezova, Daniela Petrova-Klisarova, Iliya Denev

P2 The seasonal changes of fatty acid composition of sea bream, Sparus aurata L. 1758 (Osteichthyes: Sparidae). Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu, İkbal Yıldırım, Rahile Öztürk

P3 Effects of dietary fatty acids on fecundity of Pimpla turionellae L. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu, Ekrem Ergin

P4 Small mammal reproduction in Riga city meadow habitats. Ilze Mitre, Tanya Zorenko

P5 Bioenergetic characteristics of genus Mus from South Europe. Roumiana Metcheva, Michaela Beltcheva

P6 Measurements of tyrosinase activity in diapausing larvae of European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Danijela Kojić, Jelena Purać, Željko Popović, Elvira Vukašinović, Snežana Milovac, Tatjana Nikolić, Gordana Grubor-Lajšić

P7 Morphological abnormalities in Branchipus schaefferi (Fischer, 1834) (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) from Serbia. Dragana Miličić, Sofija Pavković-Lučić, Luka Lučić

P8 An updating of large branchiopods (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) distribution in Serbia. Dunja Lukić, Ana Nahirnić, Aleksandar Marković, Tamara Karan Žnidaršič, Marko Šćiban, Dragana Miličić

P9 Studies on the gall community of Diplolepis rosae (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) in Vitosha Mountain, Bulgaria. Ivaylo Todorov, Anelia Stojanova, Dimitar Parvanov, Peter Boyadzhiev

P10 On the endemism in the fungus gnat fauna (Diptera: Diadocidiidae, Keroplatidae and Mycetophilidae) in the Mediterranean region. Dimitar Bechev

P11 Addenda to the Bulgarian myrmecofauna. Albena Lapeva-Gjonova

P12 Soil nematodes from order Plectida (Nematoda) in different plant communities of Standzha Mountain (Bulgaria, Turkey). Iliyan Iliev, Zhenya Ilieva

P13 Genetic variation in bullhead populations from the lower Danube tributaries, Northwest Bulgaria: implications for management conservation strategies. Eliza Uzunova, Jerzy Sell, Monika Stolarska, Anna Wysocka

P14 Insect community from seeds of Ephedra distachya from Dobrogea, Romania. Irinel Popescu

P15 Comparative analysis of fish biodiversity from the Adriatic and the Aegean watersheds in the Republic of Macedonia. Trajce Talevski, Aleksandra Talevska

P16 Parasite fauna of chub (Squalius squalus Bonaparte, 1837) from the lake Ohrid (R. Macedonia). Stojmir Stojanovski, N. Hristovski, Lidija Velkova-Jordanoska, D. Blazekovic-Dimovska, Gj. Atanasov

P17 First record of Grossuana angeltsekovi Glöer & Georgiev, 2009 (Gastropoda: Risooidea) from Greece. Dilian Georgiev

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P18 Two new species of stygobiotic snails from the genus Bythiospeum (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) from Bulgaria. Dilian Georgiev

P19 Variation of morphometric characters of astragalus tarsal bone in Bostaurus L., 1758 (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from the neolithic sites of the Vinča culture on the Balkan Peninsula. Darko Radmanović, Desanka Kostić, Jelena Lujić, Svetlana Blažić

P20 Cases of colouration anomalies of small mammals from Bulgaria. Nedko Nedialkov, Yordan Koshev, Ivaylo Raykov, Georgy Bardarov

P21 Height mountain species from subfamily Aphidiinae (Braconidae, Hymenoptera) from Bulgaria. OgnianTodorov

P22 Four new harvestmen records from Turkey (Arachnida: Opiliones). Plamen Mitov

P23 Earthworms (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) of Bulgaria: diversity and biogeographical consideration. Mirjana Stojanović, Ralitsa Tsekova, Tanja Milutinović

P24 Distribution and threat status of endemic earthworm Dendrobaena rhodopensis (Černosvitov, 1937) on the Balkan Peninsula. Mirjana Stojanović, Ralitsa Tsekova, Jovana Milanović, Tanja Milutinović

P25 Total IgE concentration evaluation and assessment of its diagnostic value in patients with toxocarosis. Eleonora Kaneva, Iskra Rainova

P26 Serologic findings of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme borreliosis, in rodents. Iva Christova, Hristo Dimitrov, Vesela Mitkovska, Iva Trifonova, Nikolay Kalvatchev, Teodora Gladnishka, Evgeniya Taseva, Vladislava Ivanova, Anelia Stojanova

P27 Seasonal analyses in Lake Ohrid pelagial zone water on basis of microbiological and physicochemical parameters. Vera Novevska, ElizabetaVeljanoska-Sarafiloska, Ksenija Novevski

P28 Developmental stability and nutritional quality in fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Sofija Pavković-Lučić, Luka Lučić, Dragana Miličić, VladimirKekić

P29 Temporal and spatial distribution of fauna of Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophildae) in Belgrade, Serbia. Sofija Pavković-Lučić, Vladimir Kekić

P30 Estimation of ethological isolation and wing morphology between two strains of Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera, Drosophilidae) after rearing on banana and carrot substrates during several years. Jelena Trajković, Sofija Pavković-Lučić, Tatjana Savić

P31 Effects of low temperature on adult emergence of two different Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) strains. Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu, Nesrin Liman

P32 Relationships between phytoplankton and zooplankton in Lake Ohrid. Suzana Patceva, Dafina Guseska, V. Mitic, Orchideja Tasevska

P33 Comparison of the presence of DDT metabolites in sediments and fish from Lakes Ohrid, Prespa and Dojran (Republic of Macedonia). Elizabeta Veljanoska-Sarafiloska, Trajče Stafilov

P34 Long-term investigations of the biomass of Crustacea: Copepoda, Cladocera in the Lake Ohrid pelagic zone. Dafina Guseska, Orhideja Tasevska, Goce Kostoski

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P35 Spawning grounds of cyprinid fish in the eastern shoreline of Lake Ohrid. Marina Talevska, Trajce Talevski

P36 Comparison of pelagic rotifer communities in three natural Macedonian lakes. Orhideja Tasevska, Dafina Guseska, Goce Kostoski

P37 Small mammal habitat associations in the area of Strandzha Mountain (SE Bulgaria). Sirma Zidarova

P38 Study on carabid beetles’ communities (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in typical habitats of Strandzha Mt. Rumyana Kostova, Elena Tasheva

P39 Diet of Saker falcon (Falco cherrug) from Moldova and Ukraine. Nedko Nedialkov, Dimitar Ragyov, Zlatozar Boev, Andrew Dixon

P40 Habitat preferences and relative abundance of small mammals (Mammalia: Insectivora and Rodentia) from West Trakia valley, Bulgaria. Nedko Nedialkov, Yordan Koshev

P41 Paleo-ecological reconstruction of the locality of Perunika village in Eastern Rhodopes (Bulgaria) during the Upper Eocene, based on Molluscs (Mollusca: Gastropoda, Bivalvia). Slaveya Petrova, Elvan Mehmed, Ivelin Mollov, Dilian Georgiev

P42 Trophic niche breadth and overlap between two sympatric lizard species (Reptilia: Lacertidae) from South Bulgaria. Ivelin Mollov, Peter Boyadzhiev, Atanas Donev

P43 Assessing the influence of the automobile traffic on the amphibians and reptiles in the buffer zone of Biosphere Reserve “Srebarna” (NE Bulgaria). Ivelin Mollov, Krasimir Kirov, Slaveya Petrova, Dilian Georgiev, Iliana Velcheva

P44 Тhe tabanid fauna (Diptera: Tabanidae) of the Chirpan Eminences (Bulgaria). Diana Ganeva, Milena Kalmishka

P45 New data on the morphology of two acanthocephalan species from family Polymorphidae from the region of the Durankulak Lake. Zlatka Dimitrova

P46 Western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus rudolfi) in Western Rhodope Mountain, Bulgaria: distribution and species habitat modeling. Dimitar Plachiyski, Georgi Popgeorgiev, Stoyan Nikolov

P47 Faunistical and ecological anlysis of small mammals species diversity in Strandzha Natural Park. Nasko Atanasov, Tsenka Chassovnikarova, Hristo Dimitrov, Vesela Mitkovska

P48 Craniometric characteristics of the wild goat (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica Bolkay, 1925) from Bulgaria. Svetoslav Gerasimov, Tsenka Chassovnikarova, Rosen Andreev, Petar Genov

P49 Geographical characteristics, age-sexual features and trophy quality of the horns of the wild goat (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica Bolkay, 1925) from Bulgaria. Rosen Andreev, Nino Ninov, Petar Genov, Svetoslav Gerasimov

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CONTENTS FOREWORD ..................................................................................................................................... 3 COMMITTEES ................................................................................................................................. 4 SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME ......................................................................................................... 5

PLENARY LECTURES ........................................................................................................ 19 Extreme zoology – what is this and where we are? ...................................................................... 21

Vassil Golemanski

Molecular analyses in mammals and birds: population genetics, phylogeography and conservation ................................................................................................. 22

Frank Zachos

Polytene chromosomes and their significance for taxonomy, speciation and genotoxicology ........................................................................................................ 23

Paraskeva Michailova

Research strategies to address the challenges related to the future of the environment .................................................................................................... 24

Georgi Markov

POPULATION GENETICS AND MOLECULAR STUDIES .......................................... 25 Diapause-specific gene expression pattern in the fat body of European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) ................................... 27

Željko Popović, Jelena Purać, Ana Subotić,Tatjana Nikolić, Danijela Kojić, Elvira Vukašinović, Snežana Milovac, Snežana Gošić-Dondo, Gordana Grubor-Lajšić, Vladimir Koštál

Discrimination of the Orthocladiinae species (Diptera: Chironomidae) by using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I ........................................... 28

Adile Sari, Mustafa Duran, Fevzi Bardakci

Hidden biodiversity: the case of the chromosomal races of the Balkan endemic vole Microtus thomasi .................................................................................. 29

Michalis Rovatsos, J. Marchal, G. Paspali, S. Oruci, A. Sanchez, E. Giagia-Athanasopoulou

Allozyme variability in populations of Apis mellifera mellifera, A. m. carnica and A. m. caucasica from Poland ........................................................................... 30

Evgeniya Ivanova, Malgorzata Bienkowska, Beata Panasiuk, Jerzy Wilde, Teodora Staykova, Ivan Stoyanov

Genetic variability in silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) strains with different origin ...................... 31 Teodora Staykova, Evgeniya Ivanova, Dimitar Grekov, Krasimira Avramova

ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 33 Fatty acid composition dynamics during diapause of European Corn Borer Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. (Lepidoptera: Pyrallidae) ................................ 35

Elvira Vukašinović, David Pond, Danijela Kojić, Jelena Purać, Željko Popović, Snežana Milovac, Gordana Grubor-Lajšić

The structure of spermatozoa in social voles subgenus Sumeriomys ......................................... 36 Tanya Zorenko, Fedor Golenishchev

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Fatty acid composition of Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) (Osteichthyes: Tetraodontidae) ..................................................................................................... 37

Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu, Esra Ulusoy

Life on the see-saw: an insight into cell death control during larval diapause of the European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. ........................................ 38

Željko Popović, Tatjana Nikolić, Darko Častven, Milan Đilas, Jelena Purać, Danijela Kojić, Elvira Vukašinović, Gordana Grubor-Lajšić, Vladimir Koštal

BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION ZOOLOGY ................................................... 39 Species diversity of epigeobiont and geobiont animal groups from Strandzha Mountain .............................................................................................................. 41

Maria Shishiniova, Plamen Mitov, Elena Tasheva-Terzieva, Ilyan Iliev, Albena Lapeva-Gjonova, Rumyana Kostova, Rostislav Bekchiev, Sirma Zidarova

Skull non-metrical features of the European Water Vole, Arvicola amphibius from Hungary: cranial evidence for its geographic detachment ............................. 42

Georgi Markov, Gabor Csorba, Maria Kocheva, Milena Gospodinova

Changes in the aquatic communities in the Rhodope Mountain Landslide Lakes (S Bulgaria) for the last 40 years. I. Biodiversity of the macrozoobenthos, zooplankton and the fish communities .......................................................................................... 43

Milena Pavlova, Luchezar Pehlivanov, Stefan Kazakov, Emilia Varadinova, Yanka Vidinova, Violeta Tyufekchieva, Yordan Uzunov

Diversity of Long-legged flies (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) in Gradina Floodplain forest, Bulgaria ......................................................................................... 44

Mihail Kechev

The golden jackal (Canis aureus L.) in Bulgaria: “What is going on?” .................................... 45 Georgi Markov, Milena Gospodinova

Natural colonies of Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) in European Turkey and discussion on the chances of natural re-colonization of the species in Bulgaria ........................ 46

Elena Kmetova, Pavlin Zhelev, Aleksandar Mechev, Gradimir Gradev, Ivelin Ivanov

PARAZITOLOGY, TRANSMISSIBLE DISEASES AND PEST CONTROL ................ 47 Genetic investigations of rodents for human pathogens .............................................................. 49

Iva Christova, Hristo Dimitrov, Vesela Mitkovska, Iva Trifonova, Nikolay Kalvatchev, Teodora Gladnishka, Evgeniya Taseva, Vladislava Ivanova, Anelia Stojanova

Impact of entomophages on density of Thaumetopoea pityocampa in egg stage near Ivailovgrad, Bulgaria .................................................................... 50

Plamen Mirchev, Georgi Georgiev, Petеr Boyadzhiev, Maria Matova

Species composition, distribution and seasonal variations in the invasion of domestic goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and sheep (Ovis aries) by ixodidae ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in the region of the town of Parvomai ............................... 51

Dimo Arnaudov, Atanas Arnaudov, Diana Kirin, Svetla Gospodinova

Outbreak of trichinellosis in Elin Pelin city January – March 2011 .......................................... 52 Iskra Rainova

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ANIMAL ECOLOGY AND ZOOMONITORING ............................................................. 53 Assessment of the sediment toxicity in Bulgarian and Turkish Rivers using the biomarkers in Chironomus riparius Mg. (Diptera, Chironomidae) .......................... 55

Mustafa Duran, Paraskeva Michailova, Adile Sarı, Julia Ilkova, A. Sen, Erdal Karadurmus

Preliminary results on development of a Chironomid based summer surface water temperature inference model for the Turkish lakes ............................................ 56

Gürçay Kıvanç Akyildiz, Mustafa Duran

Ecological quality assessment of salmonid rivers in Bulgaria using ichthyologic parameters ....................................................................................................... 57

Luchezar Pehlivanov, Milena Pavlova, Milen Vassilev, Apostolos Apostolou, Boris Velkov

Histopathological analysis of liver in fish population of reservoir ,,Tikves” ............................. 58 Lidija Velkova-Jordanoska, Stojmir Stojanovski, Lence Lokoska, Elizabeta Veljanoska-Sarafiloska, G. Kostoski

Effect of river fragmentations on the abundance and size structure of Barbus petenyi (Actinopterygii: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae), river Iskar, Bulgaria ............................ 59

Eliza Uzunova, Anna Futekova, Ivelina Georgieva, Lidia Rashkova

Impact of Entomophaga maimaiga (Entomophtorales: Entomophtoraceae) on non-target phytophagous insects in oak forests of Bulgaria .................................................. 60

Margarita Georgieva, Danail Takov, Daniela Pilarska, Vassil Golemansky, Plamen Pilarski, Plamen Mirchev, Georgi Georgiev, Boyan Rossnev, Peter Petkov, Maria Matova

Evaluation of the ecological status of two river ecosystems with different types of anthropogenic pollution in Southern Bulgaria based on the level of the fluctuating asymmetry in the populations of the marsh frog Rana ridibunda (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae) .......................................................................................................... 61

Zhivko Zhelev, Atanas Arnaudov, Georgi Popgeorgiev, Hristo Dimitrov

Results from marking of Sandwich terns (Sterna sandvicensis) with colour rings and radio transmitters at Pomorie Lake ......................................................... 62

Dimitar Popov, Doncho Kirov

Data from Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus) tagged with GPS/GSM transmitters in Bulgaria .......................................................................... 63

Gradimir Gradev, Elena Kmetova, Viktor Garsiya, Ivelin Ivanov

Free-living rodents as bioindicators of genetic risk in Natural Park “Strandzha” ................... 64 Vesela Mitkovska, Hristo Dimitrov, Tsenka Chassovnikarova, Nasko Atanasov

East European vole (Microtus levis Miller, 1908) – biomonitor for the heavy metals impact on the environment in Strandzha Mountain ...................................... 65

Georgi Markov, Hristo Dimitrov

POSTER SESSION ................................................................................................................ 67 Application of variability of ITS1 sequences for studying biodiversity of some Black Sea representatives of Clupeidae family ............................................................... 69

Darinka Boyadzhieva-Doychinova, Feriha Myumyunova, Maria Gevezova, Daniela Petrova-Klisarova, Iliya Denev

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The seasonal changes of fatty acid composition of Sea Bream, Sparus aurata L. 1758 (Osteichthyes: Sparidae) .......................................................................... 70

Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu, İkbal Yıldırım, Rahile Öztürk

Effects of dietary fatty acids on fecundity of Pimpla turionellae L. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) ............................................................... 71

Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu, Ekrem Ergın

Small mammal reproduction in Riga city meadow habitats ....................................................... 72 Ilze Mitre, Tanya Zorenko

Bioenergetic characteristics of genus Mus from South Europe .................................................. 73 Roumiana Metcheva, Michaela Beltcheva

Measurements of tyrosinase activity in diapausing larvae of European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)..................................................... 74

Danijela Kojić, Jelena Purać, Željko Popović, Elvira Vukašinović, Snežana Milovac, Tatjana Nikolić, Gordana Grubor-Lajšić

Morphological abnormalities in Branchipus schaefferi (Fischer, 1834) (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) from Serbia ....................................................................................... 75

Dragana Miličić, Sofija Pavković-Lučić, Luka Lučić

An updating of large branchiopods (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) distribution in Serbia ...................................................................................................................... 76

Dunja Lukić, Ana Nahirnić, Aleksandar Marković, Tamara Karan Žnidaršič, Marko Šćiban, Dragana Miličić

Studies on the gall community of Diplolepis rosae (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) in Vitosha Mountain, Bulgaria ...................................................................................................... 77

Ivaylo Todorov, Anelia Stojanova, Dimitar Parvanov, Peter Boyadzhiev

On the endemism in the fungus gnat fauna (Diptera: Diadocidiidae, Keroplatidae and Mycetophilidae) in the Mediterranean region ............................................... 78

Dimitar Bechev

Addenda to the Bulgarian myrmecofauna .................................................................................... 79 Albena Lapeva-Gjonova

Soil Nematodes from order Plectida (Nematoda) in different plant communities of Standzha Mountain (Bulgaria, Turkey) ................................................... 80

Ilyan Iliev, Zhenya Ilieva

Genetic variation in bullhead populations from the lower Danube tributaries, Northwest Bulgaria: implications for management conservation strategies ............................. 81

Eliza Uzunova, Jerzy Sell, Monika Stolarska, Anna Wysocka

Insect community from seeds of Ephedra distachya from Dobrogea, Romania ....................... 82 Irinel Popescu

Comparative analysis of fish biodiversity from the Adriatic and the Aegean watersheds in the Republic of Macedonia ......................................................... 83

Trajce Talevski, Aleksandra Talevska

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Parasite fauna of chub (Squalis squalis Bonaparte, 1837) from the Lake Ochrid (R. Macedonia) .......................................................................................... 84

Stojmir Stojanovski, N. Hristovski, Lidija Velkova-Jordanoska, D. Blazekovic-Dimovska, Gj. Atanasov

First record of Grossuana angeltsekovi Glöer & Georgiev, 2009 (Gastropoda: Risooidea) from Greece ................................................................................. 85

Dilian Georgiev

Two new species of stygobiotic snails from the genus Bythiospeum (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) from Bulgaria ................................................................................... 86

Dilian Georgiev

Variation of morphometric characters of astragalus tarsal bone in Bos taurus L., 1758 (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from the neolithic sites of the Vinča culture on the Balkan peninsula ....................................................... 87

Darko Radmanović, Desanka Kostić, Jelena Lujić, Svetlana Blažić

Cases of colouration anomalies of small mammals from Bulgaria ............................................. 88 Nedko Nedialkov, Yordan Koshev, Ivaylo Raykov, Georgy Bardarov

Height Mountain species from subfamily Aphidiinae (Braconidae, Hymenoptera) from Bulgaria .................................................................................. 89

Ognian Todorov

Four new harvestmen records from Turkey (Arachnida: Opiliones) ........................................ 90 Plamen Mitov

Earthworms (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) of Bulgaria: diversity and biogeographical consideration ................................................................................ 91

Mirjana Stojanović, Ralitsa Tsekova, Tanja Milutinović

Distribution and threat status of endemic earthworm Dendrobaena rhodopensis (Černosvitov 1937) on the Balkan Peninsula .......................................................... 92

Mirjana Stojanović, Ralitsa Tsekova, Jovana Milanović, Tanja Milutinović

Total IgE concentration evaluation and assessment of its diagnostic value in patients with toxocarosis ...................................................................... 93

Eleonora Kaneva, Iskra Raynova

Serologic findings of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme borreliosis, in rodents.................................................................... 94

Iva Christova, Hristo Dimitrov, Vesela Mitkovska, Iva Trifonova, Nikolay Kalvatchev, Teodora Gladnishka, Evgenya Taseva, Vladislava Ivanova, Anelia Stojanova

Seasonal analyses in Lake Ochrid pelagial zone water on basis of microbiological and physicochemical parameters .................................................... 95

Vera Novevska, Elizabeta Veljanoska-Sarafiloska, Ksenija Novevski

Developmental stability and nutritional quality in fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) ..................................................................... 96

Sofija Pavković-Lučić, Luka Lučić, Dragana Miličić, Vladimir Kekić

Temporal and spatial distribution of fauna of Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophildae) in Belgrade, Serbia ................................................................................ 97

Sofija Pavković-Lučić, Vladimir Kekić

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Estimation of ethological isolation and wing morphology between two strains of Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera, Drosophilidae) after rearing on banana and carrot substrates during several years ......................................... 98

Jelena Trajković, Sofija Pavković-Lučić, Tatjana Savić

Effects of low temperature on adult emergence of two different Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) strains .............................................. 99

Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu, Nesrin Lıman

Relationships between phytoplankton and zooplankton in Lake Ohrid .................................. 100 Suzana Patceva, Dafina Guseska, V. Mitic, Orchideja Tasevska

Comparison of the presence of DDT metabolites in sediments and fish from Lakes Ohrid, Prespa and Dojran (Republic of Macedonia) ..................................... 101

Elizabeta Veljanoska-Sarafiloska, Trajče Stafilov

Long-term investigations of the biomass of Crustacea: Copepoda, Cladocera in the Lake Ohrid pelagic zone .............................................................. 102

Dafina Guseska, Orhideja Tasevska, Goce Kostoski

Spawning grounds of cyprinid fish in the eastern shoreline of Lake Ohrid ............................ 103 Marina Talevska, Trajce Talevski

Comparison of pelagic rotifer communities in three natural Macedonian lakes .................... 104 Orhideja Tasevska, Dafina Guseska, Goce Kostoski

Small mammal habitat associations in the area of Strandzha Mountain (SE Bulgaria) ........................................................................................ 105

Sirma Zidarova

Study on carabid beetles’ communities (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in typical habitats of Strandzha Mt. ............................................................................................ 106

Rumyana Kostova, Elena Tasheva

Diet of Saker falcon (Falco cherrug) from Moldova and Ukraine ........................................... 107 Nedko Nedialkov, Dimitar Ragyov, Zlatozar Boev, Andrew Dixon

Habitat preferences and relative abundance of small mammals (Mammalia: Insectivora and Rodentia) from West Trakia valley, Bulgaria .......................... 108

Nedko Nedialkov, Yordan Koshev

Paleo-ecological reconstruction of the locality of Perunika village in Eastern Rhodopes Bulgaria) during the Upper Eocene, based on Molluscs (Mollusca: Gastropoda, Bivalvia) ................................................................ 109

Slaveya Petrova, Elvan Mehmed, Ivelin Mollov, Dilian Georgiev

Trophic niche breadth and overlap between two sympatric lizard species (Reptilia: Lacertidae) from South Bulgaria ........................................................ 110

Ivelin Mollov, Peter Boyadzhiev, Atanas Donev

Assessing the influence of the automobile traffic on the amphibians and reptiles in the buffer zone of Biosphere Reserve “Srebarna” (NE Bulgaria) .......................... 111

Ivelin Mollov, Krasimir Kirov, Slaveya Petrova, Dilian Georgiev, Iliana Velcheva

Тhe tabanid fauna (Diptera: Tabanidae) of the Chirpan Eminences (Bulgaria) .................... 112 Diana Ganeva, Milena Kalmishka

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New data on the morphology of two acanthocephalan species from family Polymorphidae from the region of the Durankulak Lake.................................... 113

Zlatka Dimitrova

Western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus rudolfi) in Western Rhodope Mountain, Bulgaria: distribution and species habitat modeling ................................................................. 114

Dimitar Plachiyski, Georgi Popgeorgiev, Stoyan Nikolov

Faunistical and ecological anlysis of small mammals species diversity in Strandzha Natural Park .............................................................................. 115

Nasko Atanasov, Tsenka Chassovnikarova, Hristo Dimitrov, Vesela Mitkovska

Craniometric characteristics of the wild goat (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica Bolkay 1925) from Bulgaria ................................................. 116

Svetoslav Gerasimov, Tsenka Chassovnikarova, Rosen Andreev, Petar Genov

Geographical characteristics, age-sexual features and trophy quality of the horns of the wild goat (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica Bolkay, 1925) from Bulgaria ..................... 117

Rosen Andreev, Nino Ninov, Petar Genov, Svetoslav Gerasimov

SEMINAR-TRAINING “Transmissible diseases” ..................................................................... 118 ROUNDTABLE ............................................................................................................................ 119 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS .......................................................................................................... 120 SPONSORS ................................................................................................................................... 127

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PLENARY LECTURES

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Extreme zoology – what is this and where we are?

Vassil Golemanski

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tzar Osvoboditel Bld. 1, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria e-mail: golemansky@zoology.bas.bg

ABSTRACT: The extreme Zoology studied the biological and ecological characteristics of animal diversity in habitats with extreme conditions. The main categories of extreme animals: anaerobes, thermophiles, barophiles. etc. and their biological preferences and adaptation mechanisms to extreme habitats are presented. Several general topics and achievements of Bulgarian zoologists, studying animal inhabitants in extreme conditions, are briefly maintained.

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Molecular analyses in mammals and birds: population genetics, phylogeography and conservation

Frank Zachos

Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Wien, Austria e-mail: frank.zachos@nhm-wien.ac.at

ABSTRACT: Over the last twenty or so years the molecular revolution has resulted in many exciting new methodologies that are extremely useful in addressing evolutionary and ecological questions in zoology, from studies of genetic variation and its partitioning to historical biogeography to conservation biological applications. The talk will give examples of each of these topics in mammals and birds, drawing from my own research as well as from the rich literature that has accumulated. The focus will be on the European fauna, and target species will include red deer, carnivores and sea eagles.

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Polytene chromosomes and their significance for taxonomy, speciation and genotoxicology

Paraskeva Michailova

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, 1, Blvd. Tsar Osvoboditel, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: michailova@zoology.bas.bg

ABSTRACT: The polytene chromosomes are interphase chromosomes which are formed by endomitotic replication of chromosomes without cell division. Their large size, constant somatic pairing of the homologues and species-specific band patterns makes them important signs for taxonomy, systematics and evolution. The significance of the polytene chromosomes for the taxonomy and systematic of the family Chironomidae is illustrated. Interspecies differences by chromosome rearrangements, localization and appearance of heterochromatin, differences in amount of repetitive DNA elements are shown in the genera Chironomus and Glyptotendipes. It was discussed to what extent and under what circumstances changes in the banding patterns of the polytene chromosomes may initiate sympatric, allopatric and introgressivie hybridization. The presence of fixed aberrations in the homozygous state is an important factor of species divergence. Sympatric species display more complicated chromosome rearrangements then allopatric species. In addition, hybridization tests revealed that pre – and postmating isolating mechanisms were operating. During the introgressivie hybridization, each species is characterized by a unique integrated internal system of genetic balance but it remains open to the acquisition of small amounts of genetic variability from the other species. The high resolution of chironomid salivary gland chromosomes and their sensitivity to external stressors allows their use in the diagnosis of environmental quality and hence of potential hazards posed by environmental pollution.

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Research strategies to address the challenges related to the future of the environment

Georgi Markov

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, BAS, Sofia, Bulgaria, e-mail: georgimar@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: In this lecture is reflected strategic scientific position of the Standing Committee for Life, Earth and Environmental (LESC) of the European Science Foundation (ESF) for the challenges of the future of the environment, which is produced by its members with the support of the European Science Foundation and distributed through the issuance of Science Position Papers by the European Science Foundation. The initiative for and the development of this Science Position Paper has been coordinated by Professor Reinhart Ceulemans, LESC Chair and Dr. Arja Kallio, Head of LESC Unit.

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POPULATION GENETICS AND MOLECULAR STUDIES

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Diapause-specific gene expression pattern in the fat body of European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Željko D. Popović1,2, Jelena Purać1, Ana Subotić1,Tatjana V. Nikolić1,

Danijela Kojić1, Elvira Vukašinović1, Snežana Milovac1, Snežana Gošić-Dondo3,

Gordana Grubor-Lajšić1, Vladimir Koštál2

1 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Trg D. Obradovića 2, Novi Sad, Serbia

2 Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Branišivska 31, Česke Budejovice, Czech Republic

3 Maize Research Institute, Slobodana Bajića 1, Belgrade, Serbia

Corresponding author: Željko Popović, e-mail: zeljko.popovic@dbe.uns.ac.rs

ABSTRACT: Most insect species have evolved a period of developmental arrest (diapause) that enables them to encompass adverse seasonal periods. European corn borer O.nubilalis is an important pest species whose larvae enter into winter diapause in autumn. In this study, we investigated gene expression in the diapause of 5th instar O. nubilalis larvae. Diapause was induced in laboratory and larval fat body tissue was sampled every two months. Candidate genes were selected from the public databases and the criterion was the potential involvement of genes in diapause (HSPs, GST, metallothionein, ferritin, glutaredoxin, TNF1, Bax inhibitor, prohibitin and selected mitochondrial electron transport chain genes). Real-time PCR analysis showed that analysed genes had similar diapause-specific gene expression pattern. Namely, level of analysed gene transcripts gradually rises during diapause, being the lowest after 2 and the highest after 6 months. Low expression in the beginning of diapause could be the consequence of strong metabolic suppression and diversion of energy for the synthesis of important protective molecules. As for the progressive increase in the number of transcripts during the latter part of diapause, we assume that this is not the result of higher gene expression but rather the consequence of mRNA accumulation during basal low-level transcription in general combined with prolonged mRNA lifetime at low temperatures. In support of this, a high level of mRNA in the end of diapause could be of vital importance for the completion of diapause and the resumption of development in the spring.

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Discrimination of the Orthocladiinae species (Diptera: Chironomidae) by using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I

Adile Sari1, Mustafa Duran1, Fevzi Bardakci2

1 Pamukkale University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, 20070 Denizli, Turkey

2 Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, 09010 Aydin, Turkey

Corresponding author: Adile Sari, e-mail: aozdemir@pau.edu.tr

ABSTRACT: Chironomidae family (Diptera) is more than 120 million years old and has undergone extensive adaptive radiation to occupy a wider range of microhabitats than any other aquatic insect group at present. Chironomidae are often the most abundant group of insects in freshwater environments worldwide. The family Chironomidae includes over 10,000 species, which are distributed from the tropics to the Arctic in lakes, streams and puddles. Unfortunately, the larval stage of Chironomidae, commonly collected in aquatic sampling surveys, possesses relatively few morphological characteristics useful for their identification. Molecular approaches are now being used for identification and taxonomic resolution in many animal taxa. In this study, species of larval Chironomids were collected from 12 lakes of Turkey. Species were characterized morphologically and 56 Orthocladiinae species were identified. Mitochondrial gene, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), has been used as phylogenetic marker in Orthocladiinae species collected from 12 lakes of Turkey. Neighbour-joining, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analysis have been used to identify the relationship between species and to detect the monophyletic groups. According to phylogenetic analysis Cricotopus bicintus, Cricotopus sylvestris, Rheocricotopus atripes and genus Psectrocladius have been formed monophyletic groups.

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Hidden biodiversity: the case of the chromosomal races of the Balkan endemic vole Microtus thomasi

Michalis Rovatsos1, J. A. Marchal2, G. Paspali3, S. Oruci3, A. Sanchez2,

E. B. Giagia-Athanasopoulou1

1 Section of Animal Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, GR-26500 Patras, Greece

2 Dpto de Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas s/n, E-23071 Jaén, Spain

3 Department of Biology and Chemistry, University “Eqrem Cabej”, Gjirocaster, Albania

Corresponding author: Michalis Rovatsos, e-mail: mrovatsos@upatras.gr

ABSTRACT: The phylogenetic relationships between the chromosomal races of the underground vole Microtus thomasi were investigated through cytogenetic analysis (G-banding, C-banding, FISH with satellite and telomeric sequences), mtDNA molecular phylogeny (cytb, dloop, ND2) and inbreeding experiments. Our study on specimens from Greece, Albania and Montenegro, revealed an extensive chromosomal polymorphism among the populations, resulting in the description of seven new chromosomal races, with chromosomal numbers varying from 2n=38 to 2n=44. The studied populations were divided in two genetically distinct, geographically and reproductively isolated lineages (2.7% divergence for cytb gene), which we suggest that probably correspond to two sibling species, namely Microtus thomasi and Microtus atticus, derived from different glacial refugia of Southern Greece. Furthermore, inbreeding experiments among chromosomal races of the species Microtus thomasi revealed a reproductive isolation in several cases, caused by chromosomal incompatibilities. We assume that the reproductive isolation among chromosomal races of Microtus thomasi indicates their evolutionary fate, able to evolve to distinct species in time.

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Allozyme variability in populations of Apis mellifera mellifera, A. m. carnica and A. m. caucasica from Poland

Evgeniya Ivanova1, Malgorzata Bienkowska2, Beata Panasiuk2, Jerzy Wilde3,

Teodora Staykova1, Ivan Stoyanov1

1 Department of Developmental Biology, University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria 2 Research Institute of Horticulture, Apiculture Division, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland 3 Apiculture Division, Warmia and Mazury University, Sloneczna 48, 10-710 Olsztyn, Poland

Corresponding author: Evgeniya Ivanova, e-mail: geneiv@uni-plovdiv.bg

ABSTRACT: The genetic variability in honey bee populations of three subspecies reared in Poland (A. m. mellifera, A. m. carnica and A. m. caucasica) has been studied by usage of allozymic analysis of six enzymic systems (MDH-1, ME, EST-3, ALP, PGM and HK) corresponding to 6 loci. All loci were found to be polymorphic in the populations studied. Three alleles were detected at MHD-1, ALP, PGM and HK, four alleles – at Me and six alleles – at EST-3 loci. The most frequent and the private alleles were discussed as suitable genetic markers for the subspecies characterization. The observed and expected heterozygosities (Ho and He) ranged from 0.233 (A. m. carnica) to 0.311 (A. m. mellifera) and from 0.268 (A. m. carnica) to 0.327 (A. m. caucasica), respectively. Allele frequencies of all loci were used to estimate Nei’s (1972) genetic distance, which was found to range from 0.025 (between A. m. carnica populatons) to 0.518 (between A. m. caucasica and A. m. mellifera populations). The estimated mean FST value from allozyme data was 0.28. UPGMA and Neighbor-Joining phylogenetic dendrograms were obtained by genetic distance matrix methods. The studied A. m. mellifera, A. m. carnica and A. m. caucasica populations were grouped in three different clusters.

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Genetic variability in silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) strains with different origin

Teodora Staykova1, Evgeniya Ivanova1, Dimitar Grekov2, Krasimira Avramova2

1 Department of Developmental Biology, Section of Genetics, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria

2 Agricultural University, Plovdiv, Department of Animal Breedig

Corresponding author: Teodora Staykova, e-mail: tstaykova@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: Genetic diversity within and among ten silkworm Bombyx mori strains was investigated using isoenzymes of four metabolic enzymes viz., phosphoglucomutase (PGM), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), acid phosphatase (ACP) and aspartataminotransferase (AST) by polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Three of the studied enzyme systems – PGM, MDH and ACP manifested intra- and inter-strain polymorphism with three or five alleles. AST was monomorphic in all strains tested. The observed heterozygosity was found to range from 0.000 to 0.266. Allele frequencies of all loci were used to estimate Nei’s (1972) genetic distance, which was found to range between 0.004 and 0.457 among the strains studied. A perusal of genetic diversity within and among strains indicated that 34.72% of the observed variation occurred among strains and the rest of the variation (65.28%) within strains. Genetic relatedness of the ten strains revealed by the UPGMA dendrogram, showed genetic grouping of strains in two clusters. Populations of silkworm strains Kinshu and E 29, and Asahi and Kinshu showed the highest percent of polymorphism and more number of alleles, respectively. Their rich genetic diversity needs to be exploited in conservation and breeding programme.

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ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY

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Fatty acid composition dynamics during diapause of European Corn Borer Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. (Lepidoptera: Pyrallidae)

Elvira Vukašinović1, David Pond2, Danijela Kojić1, Jelena Purać1, Željko Popović1,

Snežana Milovac1, Gordana Grubor-Lajšić1

1 Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; 2 British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Cambridge, United Kingdon

Corresponding author: Elvira Vukašinović, e-mail: elvira.pamer@dbe.uns.ac.rs

ABSTRACT: Many insects of temperate regions enter into winter diapause in order to survive adverse environmental conditions. Cold hardiness is associated with diapause in many insect species and the 5th instar diapausing larvae of Ostrinia nubilalis is prime example. In order to estimate cold hardy potential of this pest species, we analyzed with GC-MS the fatty acid (FA) composition of transesterified lipids extracted from haemolymph and fat body from both non-diapausing and diapausing larvae. The fatty acid composition in both tissues and groups was similar, with the dominance of C16:0 (palmitic acid), C16:1n7 (palmitoleic acid) and C18:1n9 (oleic acid) comprising up to 80% of FA pool. Major difference between non-diapausing and diapausing tissues was relative abundance of dominant FA. In both tissues, the amount of monounsaturated fatty acids (palmitoleic and oleic) significantly increased in the beginning of diapause and then remained relatively constant. Concurrently, levels of saturated FA significantly decreased. In haemolymph of both groups, monounsatured FA percentage raised from 43% to 67% while saturated FA declined from 23% to 15%. Similarly, in fat body, the amount of monounsaturated FA increased from 50% to 85% and saturated decreased from 28% to 11%. Based on our results, a shift to unsaturated FA in larval tissues primarily occurs in the beginning of diapause which indicates its genetic control. On the other hand, maintenance of unsaturated FA at high levels during whole diapausing period confirms an important role of lipid fluidity maintenance in the insect cold hardy adaptations.

36 |

The structure of spermatozoa in social voles subgenus Sumeriomys

Tanya Zorenko1, Fedor Golenishchev2

1 University of Latvia, Kronvald Boulevard 4, Riga LV-1586, Latvia 2 Institute of Zoology, Sankt-Petersburg

Corresponding author: Tanya Zorenko, e-mail: zorenkot@lanet.lv

ABSTRACT: Structure of males’ spermatozoa can have great taxonomic value. The purpose of a study was to compare a shape and size of spermatozoa in 5 social voles’ species. This subgenus is divided on two groups of species: “socialis” and “guentheri”. Species of guentheri group have the greatest size of a spermatozoon' head, especially in M. guentheri. It is a little less in M. hartingi. The relation of length of a head to its width makes respectively 1.58 and 1.52. This index is much less in species of socialis group. The relation of length of a midpiece of a tail to a head length considerably differs too. The smallest index is noted in M.paradoxus (authors have a different view on the taxonomic status of this vole), the greatest in M. schidlovskii and M. socialis. The obtained data confirm Aksenova's (1978) conclusion that voles of subgenus Microtus s. str and subgenus Sumeriomys essentially differ in a shape of a head and acrosome of spermatozoon. Common voles’ head is battleaxe and the acrosome has a form of a pole-axe, whereas in social voles it looks as a cockleshell snail, and the acrosome represents a cone-shaped hillock. Aksenova considers the battleaxe shape of a head as initial in evolution of voles. It is possible to consider a structure of spermatozoa of social voles as later acquisition. Structure of spermatozoa also points to isolation of social voles and confirms justice of allocation them in independent subgenus.

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Fatty acid composition of Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) (Osteichthyes: Tetraodontidae)

Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu1, Esra Ulusoy

1 Marmara University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey

Corresponding author: Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu, e-mail: nulya28@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT: The Silverstripe Blaasop Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) is distributed in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean. It is known that L. sceleratus is situated also in the Mediterranean Sea and Aegean Sea. The species has a potential risk since it contains tetrodotoxin. Certain internal organs are highly toxic when eaten; nevertheless, the meat of L. sceleratus is considered a delicacy in Japan, Korea and China. The toxin has only occasionally been detected in the muscles of these fishes. If cleaned and dressed properly, the puffer flesh or musculature is edible. In this study, total lipid and fatty acid composition of L. sceleratus muscle obtained in Antalya Bay (Boğazkent, Mediterranean coast of Turkey) was determined. After total lipid quantity of samples had been determined, methylation of fatty acids for gas chromatography analysis was achieved. It is confirmed that the fatty acids which has the highest percentage in fatty acid composition, are palmitic acid, steraic acid, docosaheksaenoic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. Total omega-3 fatty acid ratio was found high. It is well known that fish oil, especially omega-3 has beneficial effects on health. Our results show that L. sceleratus may be a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. *This study was supported by The Scientific Research Committee of The Marmara University (Istanbul- Turkey) Project number: FEN- D130612- 0242.

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Life on the see-saw: an insight into cell death control during larval diapause of the European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn.

Željko D. Popović1,2, Tatjana Nikolić1, Darko Častven1, Milan Đilas1, Jelena Purać1,

Danijela Kojić1, Elvira Vukašinović1, Gordana Grubor-Lajšić1, Vladimir Koštal2

1 University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Trg D. Obradovića 2, Novi Sad, Serbia

2 Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Branišivska 31, Česke Budejovice, Czech Republic

Corresponding author: Tatjana Nikolić, e-mail: tatjana.nikolic@dbe.uns.ac.rs

ABSTRACT: In a mammalian cell a decrease in ATP and increase in ADP/AMP levels, if prolonged, lead to the activation of cell death pathways. In order to avoid harsh winter conditions, fifth instar larvae of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, enter into diapause, a state of arrested and prolonged development. During diapause metabolism is strongly suppressed, ATP is gradually depleted which induces lower activity of ion pumps and the subsequent ion leakage in cells. In such hypometabolic conditions, it is a question how diapausing larvae avoid induction of cell death. In order to investigate this, we used non-diapausing/diapausing larvae and pupal tissues to measure activities of major apoptotic caspases- initiator (caspases 8/9) and effectory (caspase 3). We also performed genomic DNA laddering assay and fluorescent microscopy (FM) with DAPI dye to investigate potential apoptotic changes in larval tissues. Our results showed that initiator caspases were more active in larvae than in pupae, while the effectory caspase had the opposite pattern. These results were further supported with the DNA laddering assay and FM that showed no substantial fragmentation of the genomic DNA and normal morphology of larval tissues during diapause. Activated initiator, but not the effectory, caspases indicate the presence of unknown control mechanisms that prevent the activation of effectory caspases and thus, keep cells in life until the end of diapause.

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BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION ZOOLOGY

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Species diversity of epigeobiont and geobiont animal groups from Strandzha Mountain

Maria Shishiniova1, Plamen Mitov1, Elena Tasheva-Terzieva1, Ilyan Iliev1,

Albena Lapeva-Gjonova1, Rumyana Kostova1, Rostislav Bekchiev 2, Sirma Zidarova3

1 Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria

2 National Museum of Natural History, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria 3 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,

2 Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Maria Shishiniova, e-mail: mariadelova@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: The biogeographical peculiarities of Strandzha Mountain and the adjacent Black Sea coast as a crossroad between Europe and Asia imply the presence of an extreme faunal diversity and uniqueness. Because of the border position there is lack of information about many animal groups, especially in the Turkish part of the mountain. During the period of three years, species composition of some epigeobionts and geobionts in different plant communities were investigated. The list of the established species for both Bulgarian and Turkish part of Strandzha Mt. includes: 219 species of free living and plant parasitic soil nematods (Nemathelmintes, Nematoda), 22 species of harvestmens (Arachnida, Opiliones), 197 species of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae), 44 species of pselaphines (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), 122 species of ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) and 15 species of small mammals. One harvestmen species and two beetle species are new for the science, 52 species are new for the Bulgarian fauna (39 nematod species, 1 harvestmen species, 5 pselaphine species, 1 carabid species and 6 ant species) and 299 are recorded for the first time for Strandzha Mountain. There are 3 harvestmen species and one subspecies, 9 pselaphine species and 6 ant species which are new records for Turkey. The presence of more than 100 rare, endemic or threatened species from the investigated fauna underlines the priority of the region as a very important in conservation of the biodiversity in Bulgaria.

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Skull non-metrical features of the European Water Vole, Arvicola amphibius from Hungary: cranial evidence for its geographic detachment

Georgi Markov1, Gabor Csorba2, Maria Kocheva1, Milena Gospodinova1

1 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tzar Osvoboditel Bld. 1, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

2 Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, H-1088, Hungary

Corresponding author: Georgi Markov, e-mail: georgimar@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: A study of epigenetic cranial polymorphism of the European water vole (Arvicola amphibius Linnaeus, 1758) from Hungary based on the frequencies of 13 non-metric cranial traits was carried out and its population epigenetic variation (Vi= 0, 1173) was found. The comparative analysis of epigenetic distances of Hungarian water vole from other populations of A. amphibius and from southern water vole (Arvicola sapidus Miller, 1908) from Europe revealed a sharp distinction of the Hungarian population from the others. Registered considerable epigenetic uniqueness (MU=12.0123) of A. amphibius in the central part of its European area proved the polytypical cranial epigenetic character of the water vole in Europe.

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Changes in the aquatic communities in the Rhodope Mountain Landslide Lakes (S Bulgaria) for the last 40 years. I. Biodiversity of the macrozoobenthos, zooplankton and the fish communities

Milena Pavlova, Luchezar Pehlivanov, Stefan Kazakov, Emilia Varadinova,

Yanka Vidinova, Violeta Tyufekchieva, Yordan Uzunov

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tzar Osvoboditel Bld. 1, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Milena Pavlova, e-mail: mnp.iber@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: The biodiversity of the aquatic communities (macrozoobenthos, zooplankton and fish) in 5 of the Smolyanski and 2 of the Chairski Landslide lakes was investigated in spring and summer of 2010. A total of 25 taxa of different taxonomic level of macrozoobenthos and zooplankton were reported for the first time in the studied lakes. The enriched list included 6 new planktonic species (5 species of Rotifera and 1 of Cladocera), and 19 new macrozoobenthic taxa (4 species of Oligochaeta, 2 species of Bivalvia, one genus of Ephemeroptera, one species of Plecoptera, one species of Odonata, 6 species, 2 genera and 2 families of the Trichoptera groups). Five fish species were registered belonging to two families in the composition of the ichthyofauna of the studied lakes. The similarities in the species composition of the macrozoobenthos and zooplankton among the lakes and in comparison with previous investigations were assessed. The statistically significant differences found for the macrozoobenthos composition in comparison with the published in 1975 revealed two completely different communities. Moreover, this applied also to the zooplankton community which fundamentally differed from that found in 1975. The large number of taxa reported for the first time was probably due to the long period of time since the last studies (more than 40 years) and the changes in the ecological conditions in the lakes. A more refined examination of the ecosystem functioning could provide more comprehensive data about the processes in these lakes of high conservation value.

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Diversity of Long-legged flies (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) in Gradina Floodplain forest, Bulgaria

Mihail Kechev

University of Agribusiness and Rural Development 78 Dunav Blvd., Plovdiv 4003, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Mihail Kechev, e-mail: mkechev@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Gradina floodplain forest was visited for collecting dolichopodid flies in the period from 18.III.2012 to 23.VI.2012. Twenty-one distinct dolichopodid species (Argyra leucocephala, Chrysotus sp., Dolichopus latilimbatus, D. nubilus, D. salictorum, D. signifier, Gymnopternus metallicus, Hercostomus convergens, H. fulvicaudis, Poecilobothrus chrysosygus, P. regalis, Sybistroma nodicornis, S. setosa, Rhaphium caliginosum, Sciapus platypterus, Campsicnemus curvipes, C. simplicissimus, Syntormon metathesis, S. mikii, S. pallipes, Teuchophorus spinigerellus) were found in the investigated period. The species Hercostomus fulvicaudis, Sybistroma setosa and Syntormon metathesis are new to the fauna of Bulgaria. With these data the total number of Dolichopodidae species known in Bulgaria increases from 155 to 158.

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The golden jackal (Canis aureus L.) in Bulgaria: “What is going on?”

Georgi Markov, Milena Gospodinova

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tzar Osvoboditel Bld. 1, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Georgi Markov, e-mail: georgimar@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: In order to reveal the well-defined specificity of golden jackal (Canis aureus L) development in Bulgaria, its population dynamics was tracked using the available data from the official results of spring game counts carried out by the Executive Agency for Forests throughout the country during the period 1960 – 2011. It seems that the largest jackal population (39 343 animals in 2011) in Europe occurs in Bulgaria. The assessment of the importance of jackal’s increased numbers in Bulgaria takes into account its high predation upon ungulates (especially fawns) and livestock and its possible impact of the health of humans, wild and domestic animals, and requires implementation of adequate measures for its regulation in regions with proven harm on hunting, livestock breeding and human health. Preservation and stable presence of the jackal in Bulgaria could be achieved through declaring it normal game species and treating it as native species of Bulgarian mammals’ fauna.

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Natural colonies of Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) in European Turkey and discussion on the chances of natural re-colonization of the species in Bulgaria

Elena Kmetova, Pavlin Zhelev, Aleksandar Mechev, Gradimir Gradev, Ivelin Ivanov

Green Balkans NGO, www.greenbalkans.org, 1 Skopie str., Plovdiv 4004, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Elena Kmetova, e-mail: ekmetova@greenbalkans.org

ABSTRACT: Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni Fleischer, 1818) is a small falcon, useful ally of man in the combat against pest on cultural plantations. The current nesting status of the species in Bulgaria is extremely unclear. The option for natural re-colonization of the species is determined by the fact that Lesser Kestrels still breed relatively close to Bulgaria – in Turkey, Macedonia and Greece. In order to assess the hypothesis for natural re-colonization, a team of Green Balkans carried out a seven-day expedition in the European part of Turkey in the period April 16-23d 2010. During the expedition the team covered about 2000 linear km visiting 115 settlements, establishing a total of 5 colonies of Lesser Kestrel at a total number of minimum 68 breeding pairs. Two of these colonies had not been known before. Considering the results of the expedition and a GIS habitat model developed for identifying the most suitable habitats for Lesser Kestrel, the current publication discusses the possibilities for natural re-colonization of the species from European turkey to Southeastern Bulgaria.

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PARAZITOLOGY, TRANSMISSIBLE DISEASES

AND PEST CONTROL

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Genetic investigations of rodents for human pathogens

Iva Christova1, Hristo Dimitrov2, Vesela Mitkovska2, Iva Trifonova1,

Nikolay Kalvatchev1, Teodora Gladnishka1, Evgeniya Taseva1,

Vladislava Ivanova1, Anelia Stojanova2

1 National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria 2 Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Iva Christova, e-mail: iva_christova@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Small mammals are reservoirs of various human pathogens – borreliae, anaplasmae, hantaviruses. In rodents, these pathogens often persist during their whole life. They might be transmitted to humans by ticks (borreliae, anaplasmae) or directly trough rodent excreta (hantaviruses), causing sometimes life-threatening infections. Objective: The aim of this work was to investigate infections with human pathogens in rodents trapped in different regions of Bulgaria. Material and methods: Polymerase chain reactions (PCR) for detection of flagellin gene of borreliae from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, ankA gene of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and nucleoprotein gene of hantavirus Dobrava. Results: Borreliae were detected in 64 (22,5%) of investigated 284 rodents by PCR – 41 samples were from A. flavicollis, 20 from A. agrarius, and 3 from A. sylvaticus. Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection was confirmed in 33 (11,6%) of the rodents – 11/128 (8,6%) infected A. flavicollis, 13/96 (13,5%) infected A. аgrarius and 1/11 (9%) A. sylvaticus. Specific hantavirus RNA was detected in 9 of the rodents. Seven of these infected rodents were trapped in the vicinity of town of Peshtera, district of Pazardjik. Dobrava hantavirus was confirmed in all infected with hantaviruses rodents. Discussion: Among rodents from A. agrarius species, A. phagocytophilum was detected in very high rate suggesting that this species may be a major reservoir of human granulocytic anaplasmosis in Bulgaria. Remarkably, a high number of rodents from genus Apodemus were infected with borreliae. Mainly infected with hantaviruses were Apodemus flavicollis mice, known as reservoir of Dobrava hantavirus but hantavirus infections was detected also in mice Apodemus agrarius, known as reservoir of Saarema hantavirus. *This study was supported by Bulgarian Sciense Fund, Project number: DVU 02/26

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Impact of entomophages on density of Thaumetopoea pityocampa in egg stage near Ivailovgrad, Bulgaria

Plamen Mirchev1, Georgi Georgiev1, Petеr Boyadzhiev2, Maria Matova1

1 Forest Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 132 Kl. Ochridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia

2 Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Georgi Georgiev, e-mail: ggeorgiev.fri@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: In Bulgaria, near Ivailovgrad, the Eastern Rhodopes, in a forest of Pinus nigra Arn. 85 egg batches were sampled over three generations (2009, 2010 and 2011 – time of deposit of eggs) of Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Den. and Schiff.) (Lep., Thaumetopoeidae). Directly after collection the batches were singled in test tubes, closed with cotton stoppers and stored under laboratory conditions at 20-22 °C. After removal of scales, the numbers of caterpillars hatched were counted. The final analysis was made after termination of parasitoid emergence. For that all eggs were opened carefully. Average number of eggs per egg batches was the most of generation 2011 -279.5 and in the previous two generations is about 10 % lower: 2010 – 250.1; 2009 – 256, 8. Survival of pine processionary moth in egg stages, expressed in percentage of hatched caterpillars was between 60 and 75 %. The most significant factor for reducing of density was entomophages (parasitoids and predators). Parasitized eggs amount to 30 %. Destroyed eggs of predators were below 1 %. Five species of parasitoids were identified: Ooencyrtus pityocampae (Mercet, 1921) (Encyrtidae), Baryscapus servadeii (Domenichini, 1965) (Eulophidae), Baryscapus transversalis Graham, 1991 (Eulophidae), Pediobius bruchicida (Rondani, 1872) (Eulophidae) and Anastatus bifasciatus (Fonscolombe, 1832) (Eupelmidae). All emerged after collection A. bifasciatus was male, only 1 of generation of 2010 was female, all O. pityocampae and B. servadeii – were females and B. transversalis – both sexes. The most abundance was the first two parasitoids, whose number is about 80 % to all parasitoids.

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Species composition, distribution and seasonal variations in the invasion of domestic goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) and sheep (Ovis aries) by ixodidae ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in the region of the town of Parvomai

Dimo Arnaudov, Atanas Arnaudov1, Diana Kirin2, Svetla Gospodinova

1 Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

2 Agricultural University, Plovdiv

Corresponding author: Atanas Arnaudov, e-mail: arnaudov@uni-plovdiv.bg

ABSTRACT: The species composition and the distribution of ticks from the family Ixodidae, invading domestic goats and sheep near Parvomay (the district of Plovdiv) were studied. The values of invasion indicators (the number of parasites and the bio-geographical distribution) and the seasonal changes in the invasion of Carpa hircus and Ovis aries by tick species were found out. The daily activity of Ixodes ricinus in a habitat near the Gradina village was observed. 465 specimens of domestic goat and 570 specimens of sheep from 12 farms in different villages in the Parvomay Municipality were examined; the study was conducted in all four seasons. It is found out that domestic goats and sheep in the regions investigated are invaded by 7 species of ixodidae ticks – Rhipicephalus bursa, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor marginatus, Haemaphysalis sulcata, Haemaphysalis punctata and Hyaloma plumbeum. The predominant invading species in both Capra aegagrus hircus and Ovis aries is Rhipicephalus bursa. The maximum of invasion in both host species was identified – in the spring by Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor marginatus; in the summer – by the species Rhipicephalus bursa and Rhipicephalus sanguineus; in the spring and autumn – by Haemaphysalis sulcata и Haemaphysalis punctata. Single specimens from the species Hyaloma plumbeum were found in March and November. Changes in the daily activity of ticks of the species Ixodes ricinus were reported – they were related to the fluctuations of the temperature and of the relative humidity and the solar radiation.

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Outbreak of trichinellosis in Elin Pelin city January – March 2011

Iskra Rainova

Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine at NCIPD, 26 Yanko Sakazov Blvd, 1504 Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Iskra Rainova, e-mail: rainova@ncipd.org

ABSTRACT: An outbreak of trichinellosis in the Elin Pelin city was reported by the local hospital authorities on 10 March 2011 by the Regional Health Inspectorate (RHI). An epidemiological investigation was carried out in order to determine the extent of the outbreak, identify the source and to propose control measures. The National Diagnostic Scientific Research Veterinary Institute (NDSRVI) in Sofia conducted a veterinary investigation. The source of infection was minced meat and row sausages prepared from domestic pork and horse meat. The animals were bought alive from an Elin Pelin citizen. An active search for cases was conducted by RHI in Sofia region among medical laboratories, general practitioners and hospital physicians. Two patients with high temperature, facial oedema and muscle pain in the limbs were admitted in Elin Pelin Hospital. 34 more cases were found and registered after that. 24 of them had manifested clinical signs – 17 were treated in hospital and 7 were treated in outpatient conditions.

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ANIMAL ECOLOGY AND ZOOMONITORING

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Assessment of the sediment toxicity in Bulgarian and Turkish Rivers using the biomarkers in Chironomus riparius Mg. (Diptera, Chironomidae)

Mustafa Duran1, Paraskeva Michailova2, Adile Sarı1, Julia Ilkova2, A. Sen1,

Erdal Karadurmus3

1 University of Pamukkale, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, 20070 Denizli, Turkey

2 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Science, Tzar Osvoboditel 1, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria

3 University of Hitit, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering. 19030 Corum, Turkey

Corresponding author: M. Duran, e-mail: mduran@pau.edu.tr; mduranpau@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT: As a model organism we used Chironomus riparius Mg. – a widely distributed species that can be reared in the laboratory conditions and has excellent salivary gland chromosomes. The study showed that the genome at cytogenetical and biochemical levels is a sensitive biomarker and can serve as early – warning indicators of environmental impact of chemicals. Analysis of trace metals in sediment of Chaya River (Asenovgrad, Bulgaria, 2010) and Derincay River (Turkey, 2010), indicated higher concentrations of trace metals (Pb, Cr, Cu, Cd) in comparison with reference data. The response at cytogenetical level is determined by changes of gene expression of key structures (BRs and NOR) and increased in structural chromosome somatic aberrations. Changes of gene expression are indicated by decreasing the transcriptional activity of BRs and NOR: very often they occurred in the intermediate state of activity or BRs are in collapes. The cells with somatic rearrangements of C.riparius from polluted Derincay River and Chaya River were in 16,94% and 36,36% respectively, which were significantly higher than those of the control (Derincay River: G = 125,53, P< 0.001; Chaya River: G = 73,81, P<0.001). Somatic index was the highest in the sample from Chaya River – 3.25, following by Derincay River -1.58, while it was 0.13 in the control sample. The response of the C. riparus at biochemical level is characterized by increased amount of metallothionein (MT), highest in Derincay River in comparison of Chaya River. Similarly, the other studied enzyme activities, GST and EROD, showed on the average 20% and 24% higher activities respectively, in Derincay River than in Chaya River. In addition, in accordance with above enzyme activities, the level of AChE inhibition is about 10% higher in Derincay River than in Chaya River. As a result, alterations in these biochemical parameters could be regarded as valid reflections of the increased trace metals in Derincay and Chaya Rivers. It could be concluded that the environmental diagnose quality by multilevel approach (cytogenetical and biochemical) will enable better understanding of the impact of pollutants on organisms and should be successful implemented in environmental monitoring procedures.

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Preliminary results on development of a Chironomid based summer surface water temperature inference model for the Turkish lakes

Gürçay Kıvanç Akyildiz, Mustafa Duran

Pamukkale University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, Turkey

Corresponding author: Gürçay Kıvanç Akyildiz, e-mail: gkakyildiz@pau.edu.tr

ABSTRACT: As a preliminary study, surface sediment recovered from 29 lakes in Turkey was analysed for subfossil chironomid (Insecta: Diptera) remains and incorporated in a chironomid-based inference model for summer surface water temperature. Altitude varies between 2037 m and 5 m among the lakes. Gravity corer was used to take surface sediment for contemporary training set. Chironomid identification was made to the generic level. To standardize the taxonomic approach, chironomid samples taken from the Turkish lakes have compared with the European subfossil larvae collection. In total 67 different subfossil chironomids were collected. Samples were deleted if they contained fewer than 40 identifiable chironomid head capsules. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to examine the distribution of chironomid taxa among the lakes and to relate their distributions to measured environmental variables in dataset. Weighted Averaging-Partial Least Squares (WA-PLS) were used to assess the transfer function performance. The statistics of the inference model for summer surface water temperature were analyzed as RMSE = 0.663, r2 = 0.984 and RMSEP = 1.78°C. These results are expected to become more consistent as the number of lakes. This study is innovative as the first Turkish chironomid-based temperature calibration set and this will offer much potential for work on temperature reconstructions in Turkey.

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Ecological quality assessment of salmonid rivers in Bulgaria using ichthyologic parameters

Luchezar Pehlivanov1, Milena Pavlova1, Milen Vassilev,

Apostolos Apostolou, Boris Velkov

1 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Major Yurii Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Luchezar Pehlivanov, e-mail: lzp@abv.bg; luchezar_pehlivanov@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: The salmonid rivers in Bulgaria are characterized with naturally poor species composition of the ichthyocenoses including 1 to 3 species. This makes inapplicable for ecological quality assessment the existing fish indices including the species richness as a parameter. An algorithm is proposed for assessment the ecological status of all trout rivers within the both Eco-region 12 and Eco-region 7 according WFD. Ten ichthyologic parameters were used: total numbers and biomass of the ichthyofauna, total numbers, biomass and number of the size-age groups of the Brown trout, percentage in numbers and number of the size-age groups of the Bullhead (for Danube tributaries), percentage in numbers of the cyprinid species, percentage in numbers of the introduced species, health status of fishes. The values of the used parameters were organized in four ranges with respective rates 0, 1, 3, and 5. The integrated index was calculated as the sum of the rates. The ecological quality assessment was made through comparison of the values obtained with the referent values of EQR the river type being taken in account. The proposed algorithm was tested for ecological quality assessment of salmonid river stretches within the watersheds of both the Danube River and Aegean Sea.

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Histopathological analysis of liver in fish population of reservoir ,,Tikves”

Lidija Velkova-Jordanoska, Stojmir Stojanovski, Lence Lokoska,

Elizabeta Veljanoska-Sarafiloska, G. Kostoski

SI Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski 50, Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia

Corresponding author: Lidija Velkova-Jordanoska, e-mail: lidvejo@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: The liver of fish can be considered a target organ to pollutants. Alterations in its structure can be significant in the evaluation of fish health and exhibit the effects of a variety of environmental pollutants. Liver pieces of 12 fish individuals collected from reservoir ,,Tikves” during 2010, were excised and processed for standard histopathological analysis. The obtained results revealed pathological changes in the liver tissue including an inflammatory processes, fibrosis and necrosis on a level of hepatocelular parenchyme, bile duct proliferation and bile duct epithelium necrosis on a level of hepatic bile tract. Estimation of water quality of reservoir ,,Tikves” on the basis of physico-chemical and microbiological parameters indicate that waste water have distinct impact to the natural fish population.

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Effect of river fragmentations on the abundance and size structure of Barbus petenyi (Actinopterygii: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae), river Iskar, Bulgaria

Eliza Uzunova1, Anna Futekova1, Ivelina Georgieva2, Lidia Rashkova3

1 Department of General and Applied Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University, 8 Blvd Dragan Tsankov, Sofia 1164, Bulgaria

2 Executive Environment Agency, 136 blvd. Tsar Boris III, Sofia, Bulgaria 3 National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture, 17 Blvd. Hristo Botev, Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Eliza Uzunova, e-mail: e_uzunova@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: Habitat fragmentation affects the populations of many fish species, but the little attention has paid to cyprinids. The black barbel Barbus petenyi (L.) is a characteristic species in the mountain and sub-mountain streams of the lower Danube tributaries. The B. petenyi is of particular interest because of its value as a game fish and as well as an indicator species listed in Annex II of the European Commission’s Habitats and Species Directive (92/43/EEC). The 19 km sector of upper section of the River Iskar was investigated during May-June, 2011. In the investigated zone were identified five flow-obstructing structures (weirs) that have potential to prevent or limit the upstream movement of B. petenyi. Abundance (ind.·100 m-2) and size structure of B. petenyi were obtained immediately downstream and upstream of the each weir. It was observed that abundance of B. petenyi declined dramatically in upstream direction due to the restricted re-colonization and migration processes. Barbel abundance did not depend on the distances between fragmentation structures. A significant difference was found in the body length frequencies of the barbel caught above the weir compared to those caught below. Several protection measures are discussed.

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Impact of Entomophaga maimaiga (Entomophtorales: Entomophtoraceae) on non-target phytophagous insects in oak forests of Bulgaria

Margarita Georgieva1, Danail Takov2, Daniela Pilarska2,4, Vassil Golemansky2,

Plamen Pilarski3, Plamen Mirchev1, Georgi Georgiev1, Boyan Rossnev1,

Peter Petkov1, Maria Matova1

1 Forest Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 132, St. Kliment Ohridski Blvd., Sofia 1756, Bulgaria

2 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Str., Sofia 1113, Bulgaria

3 Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria

4 Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 1176, CZ-165 21 Praha 6 – Suchdol, Czech Republic

Corresponding author: Margarita Georgieva, e-mail: margaritageorgiev@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: The impact of entomopathogenic fungus Entomophaga maimaiga Humber, Shimazu and Soper (Entomophtorales: Entomophtoraceae) on the complex of herbivorous insects in oak forests in Bulgaria was investigated during the period 2009-2011. In 15 populations of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) – 6 in sites with E. maimaiga introduction and 9 in sites where the pathogen has penetrated naturally, 1463 larvae of non-target herbivorous insects were collected. They belong to 37 species of 11 lepidopteran and 1 hymenopteran families: Licenidae (1 species), Tortricidae (5), Pyralidae (1), Ypsolophidae (1), Geometridae (11), Noctuidae (10), Erebidae (1), Notodontidae (1), Lymantriidae (2), Lasiocampidae (2) (Lepidoptera) and Tenthredinidae (2) (Hymenoptera). During rearing part of the larvae died, however microscopic analyzes did not show presence of E. maimaiga life stages in any of the dead larvae. In one species – Catocala nymphagoga (Esper, 1787) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) high mortality of larvae and pupae (between 39.1 and 100%, average 61.7%) caused by the entomophtorous fungi Tarichium dissolvens and Conidiobolus sp. was registered in many localities. Tarichium dissolvens is a new species for Bulgarian mycota. The results of this study characterize E. maimaiga as a host-specific pathogen of gypsy moth, which is safe for the rest of the insect representatives in oak forests.

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Evaluation of the ecological status of two river ecosystems with different types of anthropogenic pollution in Southern Bulgaria based on the level of the fluctuating asymmetry in the populations of the marsh frog Rana ridibunda (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae)

Zhivko Zhelev1, Atanas Arnaudov1, Georgi Popgeorgiev2, Hristo Dimitrov3

1 Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

2 Regional Natural History Museum of Plovdiv, 34 Hristo G. Danov Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

3 Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Zhivko Zhelev, e-mail: zhivko-m@uni-plovdiv.bg

ABSTRACT: The degree of manifestation of the indicators for fluctuating asymmetry (FA) was studied in the populations of Rana ridibunda in two of the most polluted river ecosystems in Southern Bulgaria (the river Sazliyka – household effluent type of pollution: N – NH4; N – NO2; BCO5 and the river Topolnitsa – heavy metal pollution: Cu; Fe; Mn; Pb; Ni). Based on the integral indicator for the development stability, was performed an evaluation of the ecological condition, parallel to the physicochemical analysis. It was found that in the anthropogenicly polluted habitat the variations in genetic homeostasis in the populations of R. ridibunda occur independently of the type of toxicants. The degree of violation expressed in the form of FA depends on the nature of the pollution.

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Results from marking of Sandwich terns (Sterna sandvicensis) with colour rings and radio transmitters at Pomorie Lake

Dimitar Popov, Doncho Kirov

Green Balkans NGO, www.greenbalkans.org, 1 Skopie str., Plovdiv 4004, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Dimitar Popov, e-mail: dpopov@greenbalkans.org

ABSTRACT: The material presents information on marking with colour rings of Sandwich terns (Sterna sandvicensis) in the area of Pomorie Lake. The ringed birds are from the Sandwich tern colony nesting on artificial islands created by Green Balkans NGO. This is the first marking in Bulgaria of Sandwich terns with colour rings and it was done in the period 2010-2012. In total 7 adult (nesting) and 184 juvenile birds have been marked. Data on follow-up observations of the ringed birds in the area of Pomorie Lake and abroad are presented. Within the study at Pomorie Lake are registered observations of Sandwich terns, marked with colour rings in Italy – Comacchio saltpans, Po Delta, Emilia-Romagna region. The data on place and date of marking of the foreign individuals is summarized after feedback information by Italian scientists. Seven adult and 1 juvenile birds have been tagged with radio-transmitters that provide opportunity for distant study of the birds. Outputs of that study are limited but provide important experience in planning of future efforts on that type of studies.

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Data from Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus) tagged with GPS/GSM transmitters in Bulgaria

Gradimir Gradev1, Elena Kmetova1, Viktor Garsiya, Ivelin Ivanov1

1 Green Balkans NGO, www.greenbalkans.org, 1 Skopie str., Plovdiv 4004, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Gradimir Gradev, e-mail: ggradev@greenbalkans.org

ABSTRACT: The current publication presents information on the tracking of a total of three Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus), tagged with GPS / GSM transmitters in Bulgaria. The species is enlisted as “Endangered” in the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This is the first such tracking of the species in Bulgaria, initiated by Bulgarian researchers and carried out by experts of Green Balkans in 2008 and 2011. Birds of various ages were tagged – a juvenile, a bird of transitional plumage (subad.), and a mature breeding bird (ad). Transmitters developed by a Bulgarian producer Elektroninvest Ltd and the EagleEye® Spanish companies were used. All positions obtained for the exact location of each individual contain GPS coordinates, speed and direction of flight, indication of state: roost or active movement. The positions reveal information on the migratory route of the Bulgarian population of the species, the movement of breeding birds in search of food and the vagrancy of young, non-breeding Egyptian Vultures. Data on the movement of Egyptian Vultures on the territory of three continents – Europe, Asia and Africa has been collected.

64 |

Free-living rodents as bioindicators of genetic risk in Natural Park “Strandzha”

Vesela Mitkovska1, Hristo Dimitrov1, Tsenka Chassovnikarova1, 2, Nasko Atanasov2

1 Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, BAS, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia

Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Tsenka Chassovnikarova, e-mail: tsenka@zoology.bas.bg

ABSTRACT: Biomonitoring of mammal populations, exposed to potential mutagens, can provide a nearly detection system for the initiation of cell dysregulation. In recent years, the Comet assay has become an important tool for assessing DNA damage in exposed populations. Strandza Natural Park (SNP) is a protected area in Europe because of its high biodiversity level. In order to assess the contamination in the area and to monitor the possible biological effects of different xenobiotics, a series of coordinated studies was performed, utilizing several small mammal species living in that area. Genotoxicity monitoring using the Comet assay on peripheral blood leukocytes was performed. The yellow-necked and the Macedonian mice were sampled in different areas of the SNP (Lopushna, Silkosia and Sredoka) in the autumn of 2010 and 2011. An increase in the Comet assay parameters in the analyzed individuals of yellow-necked mouse from Sredoka protected area was established. Those results indicate that there was genetic damage in some mice populations of the SNP and a chronic contamination was still present. Successive monitoring should be carried out to evaluate a long-term persistence of genotoxical terations insidem SNP. The result suggests that the mutagenicity level in natural populations living in protected areas should be controlled and wild mice could be used as key organisms in pollution monitoring and environmental conservation.

*This study was supported by Bulgarian Sciense Fund, Project number: DMU 03/32

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East European vole (Microtus levis Miller, 1908) – biomonitor for the heavy metals impact on the environment in Strandzha Mountain

Georgi Markov1, Hristo Dimitrov2

1 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, BAS, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia, Bulgaria

2 Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Georgi Markov, e-mail: georgimar@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: The heavy metals residuals (X ± SD mg/kg dry weight) of elements with concentration dependant toxic effect (Cu; Ni; Zn and Co) and microelements with proven highly toxic effect on living organisms (Cd and Pb) was established in the liver of the East European vole inhabiting in agricultural areas in the central part of Strandzha Mountain region. The identified concentrations of metals residues found form an initial starting basis for the estimation of heavy metals accumulation in internal organs of East European vole, thus implying that it may serve as a zoo monitor species to detect toxic anthropogenic hazards. The finding of highly toxic lead in not so low concentrations together with the noteworthy presence of cadmium although in lower concentrations in the liver of the studied East European vole, which are considered in wild animal species as due to anthropogenic pollution of the environment shows that continuous monitoring of the fragile ecosystem of Strandzha Natural Park must be an important commitment due to the recreation importance of the Strandzha Mountain region.

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POSTER SESSION

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P1

Application of variability of ITS1 sequences for studying biodiversity of some Black Sea representatives of Clupeidae family

Darinka Boyadzhieva-Doychinova1, Feriha Myumyunova2, Maria Gevezova3, Daniela

Petrova-Klisarova2, Iliya Denev2,3

1 University of Plovdiv, Department of Human & Animal Anatomy and Physiology, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

2 Agricultural Academy, Institute of Fishing Resources, Varna, Bulgaria 3 University of Plovdiv, Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Corresponding author: Iliya Denev, e-mail: iliden@uni-plovdiv.bg

ABSTRACT: Family Clupeidae contains several commercially important fish species like herrings, shads, sardines, sprat and menhadens. According to many authors, in Black Sea Clupeidae family is represented by nine species. The economic importance of Clupeidae species on one hand and the need to take adequate measures for the conservation and proper management of fishery resources in the Black Sea region determine the need for more detailed study of biodiversity and phylogenic relationships among species in this family. The aim of this study was to assess applicability of the ITS1 markers for distinguishing among Black Sea Clupeidae species and to study their phylogenic relations. For this purpose ITS1 regions were isolated by PCR from four common representatives of the family in Bulgarian coastal areas. The obtained sequences were processed by Phylip (v. 3.5 c). The results displayed high similarity (nearly 100%) between the studied representatives of A. immaculata, which clustered together in the resulting tree. Similarly the samples of S. sprattus formed clearly distinct cluster. It is probably due to the fact that both species migrate along the see coast during different seasons foraging food and hence the captured individual may belong to close populations. The same is true for the samples of S. pilchardus. They both were captured in Varna bay, so probably they belong to one population. The representatives of A. caspia ssp. nodrmanni were out grouped from A. immaculata. Although both species formed one joint cluster, the first was clearly separated from A. immaculata. In respect of these results in our future research, we are planning to use ITS1 sequences together with other marker nuclear and mitochondrial genes to assess biodiversity and phylogenic relations between Black Sea representatives of Clupeidae species.

70 |

P2

The seasonal changes of fatty acid composition of Sea Bream, Sparus aurata L. 1758 (Osteichthyes: Sparidae)

Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu1, İkbal Yıldırım 2, Rahile Öztürk2

1 Marmara University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, İstanbul, Turkey 2 Selçuk University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Konya, Turkey

Corresponding author: Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu, e-mail: nulya28@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT: In this study, fatty acid composition and its seasonal variation of sea bream, Sparus aurata L. which taken from Mersin, Türkiye were investigated by gas chromatographic method. Twelve different fatty acids, between C14 and C22 were determined in the composition. Oleic acid was determined as the fatty acid which has the highest percentage for each season. Generally total percentage of ω-3 fatty acids was determined higher than the percentage of ω-6 fatty acids. Total ω-3 fatty acid percentage was found high in winter.

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P3

Effects of dietary fatty acids on fecundity of Pimpla turionellae L. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu1, Ekrem Ergın2

1 Marmara University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, Istanbul, Turkey 2 Nursing High School, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey

Corresponding author: Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu, e-mail: nulya28@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT: Synovigenic parasitoids rely on adult feeding to increase their reproductive potential. In this study, we examined the impact of fatty acid composition in the artificial diet on the fecundity of the endoparasitoid Pimpla turionellae L. adult females. Females were provided with natural diet (honey and host pupae), a basic chemically-defined synthetic diet, or five different synthetic diets without palmitic and stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid or linolenic acid separately, or all fatty acids. The effects of dietary fatty acid deficiency on total and age-dependent fecundity of the wasp were investigated. The fecundity of the females fed with basic synthetic diet, stearic and palmitic acid-free diet and oleic acid diet were found high. Females provided with linoleic acid- and all fatty acid-free diets had the lowest fecundity. Age-dependent fecundity increased from day 20 to 28 and then decreased on day 31.

72 |

P4

Small mammal reproduction in Riga city meadow habitats

Ilze Mitre, Tanya Zorenko

University of Latvia, Kronvald Boulevard 4, Riga LV-1586, Latvia

Corresponding author: Tanya Zorenko, e-mail: zorenkot@lanet.lv

ABSTRACT: The reproduction of small mammals in urban areas has not been much researched. The material for the research was collected using traps in Riga city meadow habitats from 2008 till 2010. The number of species in city meadows is poor compared to natural meadow habitats as there were only two species caught during the research – Microtus arvalis and Apodemus agrarius. The caught individuals were distinct into two age classes – adult males, adult females, young males and young females. Research results depict adult female number, females with their first and second pregnancy out of all capable of reproduction, number of lactating females, average number of placental spots per one female, as well as number of embryos per one female. Adult males had the mass of their testis measured so that their reproductive ability could be concluded, as well as the level of development as individuals capable of reproducing. The analysis of the demographical structure showed that there are an uneven number of young and adult specimens in the population. City meadow habitats have most M. arvalis females; the second most common age class is adult M. arvalis males. The situation differs with A. agrarius because the young specimen of this species is more common. Results show that there are more M. arvalis adult females in meadow habitats in a reproductive age than A. agrarius. The population of A. agrarius has more adult females that have had pregnancy only once, but M. arvalis population has a characteristic of more females, that have a pregnancy repeatedly.

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P5

Bioenergetic characteristics of genus Mus from South Europe

Roumiana Metcheva, Michaela Beltcheva

Institute of Biodiversity an Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Str., 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Roumiana Metcheva, e-mail: rummech@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: Thermoregulations in genus Mus from South Europe were studied as follows: Mus musculus musculus (L., 1758), Mus musculus domesticus (Schwarz & Schwarz 1943), Mus spicilegus (Petenyi, 1882), Mus spretoides (Petrov & Ruzic 1983) and Mus spretus (Lataste 1883). The thermoregulation curves obtained in these species were significantly different. The lowest value of metabolism rates in thermo neutral zone, assumed to approximate BMR values fell in range from 25°C to 30°C. The body temperature in mice at 20°C remained fairly similar. The lowest intensity of thermoregulation was found in Mus spicilegus, and the lowest insulation index was found in M. m. musculus. The results indicate certain adaptations in metabolism rate of the rodent species studied, relevant to the conditions in the habitats where rodents live.

74 |

P6

Measurements of tyrosinase activity in diapausing larvae of European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Danijela Kojić, Jelena Purać, Željko D. Popović, Elvira Vukašinović, Snežana Milovac,

Tatjana Nikolić, Gordana Grubor-Lajšić

Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg D.Obradovića, Novi Sad, Serbia

Corresponding author: Danijela Kojić, e-mail: danijela.kojic@dbe.uns.ac.rs

ABSTRACT: Ostrinia nubilalis is a pest species in temperate regions of Eurasia and North America. Cold hardiness of these insects is closely related to diapause and is essential for survival and includes various metabolic adaptations. Our previous studies have shown the existence of oxidative stress during exposure to low temperature and the coincident elevation of a semiquinone EPR (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance) signal from melanin in diapausing larvae of O. nubilalis exposed to low temperatures of -3°C, but not animals exposed to -16°C. This increase in the semiquinone signal might correlate with the increase in melanogenesis or with production of semiquinone radicals from melanin in response to oxidative stress. The first and rate limiting step in melanogenesis is catalyzed by tyrosinase, a copper monooxygenase. In this study, we measured tyrosinase activity in the haemolymph of three groups of diapausing larvae in the middle of diapause: (1) control at 5°C, (2) low temperature exposed to -3°C and (3) -16°C. Our results showed that tyrosinase activity of diapausing larvae was slightly increased at -3°C (14.91 U/mg prot.) and two times higher at -16°C (25.13 U/mg prot.) compared with control group (12.14 U/mg prot.). Based on these results, we assumed that elevation of semiquinone EPR signal is not a consequence of melanogenesis but rather a side product of melanin antioxidative activity. This hypothesis is in accordance with current research, which shows that melanin can react with a number of reactive species within cells and is involved in redox status regulation.

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P7

Morphological abnormalities in Branchipus schaefferi (Fischer, 1834) (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) from Serbia

Dragana Miličić, Sofija Pavković-Lučić, Luka Lučić

University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Corresponding author: Dragana Miličić, e-mail: draganam@bio.bg.ac.rs

ABSTRACT: Branchipus schaefferi is common and one of the most abundant large branchiopod species widely distributed in Europe. This crustacean successfully colonizes small, turbid, shallow temporary water bodies, often several centimeters in depth. The occurrence of morphologically altered individuals (of both sexes) is reported. The observed abnormalities mainly consist deformities in head structures, phylopodous legs, and cercopods. The major variability is manifested in the male head morphology, manifesting as more or less swelling of the second antennal parts into so-called 'visnyai' form. Fixation and preservation could be considered as a possible cause of some of these asymmetries (since preservation in alcohol can deform specimens by accelerating fluid loss). We consider also that some of observed body anomalies could be naturally occurring abnormalities (as result of genetic factors or/ and developmental disturbances), or result of space and food competition, and the close encounter with predators.

76 |

P8

An updating of large branchiopods (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) distribution in Serbia

Dunja Lukić1, Ana Nahirnić1, Aleksandar Marković1, Tamara Karan Žnidaršič1, Marko

Šćiban3, Dragana Miličić2

1 Society for biological research „Sergej D. Matvejev“, Belgrade, Serbia 2 University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia 3 Bird Study and Protection Society of Serbia, Novi Sad, Serbia

Corresponding author: Dragana Miličić, e-mail: draganam@bio.bg.ac.rs

ABSTRACT: Data hitherto emphasized the problem of inadequate knowledge of our territory as large branchiopods are concerned. In this note recent field records and new data from several areas are presented. The main objective of this work is to recheck the known distribution of some species and genera, as well as extend this knowledge to the less explored parts of the country. The aim of the survey was also to complement previous data that mainly focused to the northern parts of the country. That is why we conducted a survey of large branchiopods both of known and new investigated habitats. The study revealed occurrence and updated distribution of Anostraca (6 species), Notostraca (2 species) and Spinicaudata (2 species). We believe that present knowledge of our branchiopod fauna is far from being complete, but that this updated distribution should be partly filled the gap existing, mainly for certain regions of Central and Southern Serbia.

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P9

Studies on the gall community of Diplolepis rosae (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) in Vitosha Mountain, Bulgaria

Ivaylo Todorov1, Anelia Stojanova2, Dimitar Parvanov3, Peter Boyadzhiev2

1 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, BAS, Tzar Osvoboditel 1 Bld., Sofia, Bulgaria

2 Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., Plovdiv, Bulgaria 3 Dep artment of General and Applied Hydrobiology, Sofia University, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Ivaylo Todorov, e-mail: i.toddorov@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: The cynipid gall wasp, Diplolepis rosae (L., 1758) induced the most abundant and wide distributed rose galls in Europe. The Rose Bedeguar galls support insect community, which consists of hymenopteran parasitoids and inquilines. Although, the structure and the phenology of this community, as well as the life history and sex ratio of the gall inducer are subject of detailed investigations in some European countries, such studies have never been conducted in Bulgaria. In this paper we provide information on sex ratio and structure of the insect community bred from galls collected from 3 types of habitats in the Vitosha Mt., Bulgaria. Our results confirm the existence of geographical and ecological dependent differences of the parasitoid community’s structure and the sex ratio of the gall wasp. We obtained 43.10% of D. rosae males for the Vitosha population, the highest figure for whole datasets found until now for this species in Europe. Including the gall-maker, the reared insect community consists of 12 species, namely ichneumonid wasp Orthopelma mediator, pteromalids Pteromalus bedeguaris and Caenacis inflexa, torymids Glyphomerus stigma and Torymus bedeguaris, eurytomid Eurytoma rosae, eulophids Stepanovia sp. nr eurytomae and Colpoclypeus florus, eupelmids Eupelmus urozonus and Eupelmus vesicularis and cynipoid inquiline Periclistus brandtii. A tenthredinid Cladius pectinicornis (with 1 individual only) is supposed to be accidental inhabitant in the galls volume. Colpoclypeus florus, generally considered as a specific parasitoid of leafrollers (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in European orchards, is a newly recorded member of the insect community of D. rosae galls. The most abundant parasitoid species is Glyphomerus stigma with 19.12% of all reared insects, followed by Pteromalus bedeguaris (17.74%) and Orthopelma mediator (13.59%). The correlations between insects in the community and the influence of some environmental factors on the community structure were analyzed and discussed.

78 |

P10

On the endemism in the fungus gnat fauna (Diptera: Diadocidiidae, Keroplatidae and Mycetophilidae) in the Mediterranean region

Dimitar Bechev

Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Dimtar Bechev, e-mail: bechev@uni-plovdiv.bg

ABSTRACT: The fungus gnat fauna of the Mediterranean region is analysed and 125 endemic species belonging to 33 genera of 3 families are identified. The centres of endemism are delimited and discussed.

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P11

Addenda to the Bulgarian myrmecofauna

Albena Lapeva-Gjonova

Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University, 8 Dragan Tsankov blvd., Sofia 1164, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Albena Lapeva-Gjonova, e-mail: gjonova@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: Many faunistical studies on the myrmecofauna of Bulgaria have been carried out and 168 ant species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from 41 genera have been known as a result. Although, Bulgarian ant fauna is considered to be relatively well investigated, the finding of unrecorded species continues, especially among the rare social parasites and the species with general distribution from the Mediterranean region. In the current study, a member of an extremely rare genus Teleutomyrmex with a locality, very distant from the few ones, found before, as well as three ant species – Monomorium monomorium Bolton, 1987, Crematogaster jehovae Forel, 1907 and C. ionia Forel, 1911, collected mainly in the southern parts of the country, are recorded for the first time in Bulgaria.

80 |

P12

Soil Nematodes from order Plectida (Nematoda) in different plant communities of Standzha Mountain (Bulgaria, Turkey)

Ilyan Iliev1, Zhenya Ilieva2

1 Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St. Kl. Ohridski”, 8 Dragan Tsankov blvd., Sofia 1164, Bulgaria

2 Department of Entomology and Non Insect pests, Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnology and plant Protection, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Iliev, I., e-mail: iliyan.l@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: During three years study in the Standzha Mountain 21 species of nematodes of order Plectida Malakhov, 1982 were found in soil collected in 28 different localities. Sample plots are located in typical for the region plant communities in the Bulgarian and Turkish part of the mountain. Representatives of the family Plectidae are the most abundant and have the highest species diversity. Two species – Plectus minor Novikova et Gagarin, 1971 and Chiloplectus andrassyi (Timm, 1971) Andrassy 1984 are recorded for the first time in Bulgaria. The most frequent species are Anaplectus granulosus (Bastian, 1865) de Coninck et Sch. Stekhoven, 1933, P. acuminatus Bastian, 1865 and P. cirratus Bastian, 1865. All three species have the greatest abundance in the forest communities.

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P13

Genetic variation in bullhead populations from the lower Danube tributaries, Northwest Bulgaria: implications for management conservation strategies

Eliza Uzunova1, Jerzy Sell2, Monika Stolarska2, Anna Wysocka2

1 Department of General and Applied Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University, 8 Blvd Dragan Tsankov, Sofia 1164, Bulgaria;

2 Department of Genetics, University of Gdańsk, Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdańsk, Poland

Corresponding author: Eliza Uzunova, e-mail: e_uzunova@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: We studied phylogenetic relationships of bullheads, cold adapted freshwater fishes of the genus Cottus, from three Danube tributaries in relation to previously described European mtDNA clades. Cottus haemusi (Marinov and Dikov, 1986) was described as an endemic species that is restricted to the upper tributaries of the river Vit. However, the present analyses of sequences of the complete mitochondrial control region of 58 individuals from 5 localities showed no major differentiation between bullheads from the river Vit and these from the other Danube tributaries – River Iskar and River Ogosta. Our data suggest instead that the monophyletic clade comprising haplotypes from the rivers Vit and Iskar probably qualify as evolutionary significant unit (ESU). Analysis of mtDNA variation reveals very high degrees of isolation between populations. The populations of the three river basins studied show phylogeographic differentiation for mtDNA variants, therefore meet the criteria for management units (MU) recognition and should be managed separately.

82 |

P14

Insect community from seeds of Ephedra distachya from Dobrogea, Romania

Irinel Popescu

Faculty of Biology, University “Alexandru Ioan Cuza”, Bd. Carol I nr. 11, Iasi 700506, Romania

Corresponding author: Irinel Popescu, e-mail: irinellus@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: Previous studies on insects from seeds of Ephedra distachya were made in Spain by Askew & Blasco-Zumeta (2000). They obtained the phytophagous pteromalid Blascoa ephedrae and his parasitoids Idiomacromerus pallistigmus, Aprostocetus lutescens and Eupelmus sp. Our research was made in 2000 – 2010 period in two sites, in Natural Maritime Dune Reserve from Agigea, in the southern part of Romanian littoral of Black Sea and in Natural Forest Reserve from Letea from Danube Delta, in the northern part of the Romanian littoral of Black Sea. In 200-2003 we take in laboratory condition 8510 seeds from Agigea and obtained 2,29% damage of seeds rearing nine taxon: Nikanoria sp., Blascoa ephedrae, Idiomacromerus pallistigmus, one species from Diptera (Cecidomyiidae), Eupelmus vesicularis, Eupelmus microzonus, Eupelmus nigricauda, Eurytoma sp., Eulophidae sp. The more abundant species were Nikanoria sp. (76,41%), Blascoa ephedrae (9,74%) and Idiomacromerus pallistigmus (9,74%). In 2010 we collect 2800 seeds and obtained 4,57% damage of seeds but rearing just four taxon: Nikanoria sp., Blascoa ephedrae, Eulophidae sp. 1 and Eulophidae sp. 2. Nikanoria sp. was the more abundant species with 79,68%, followed by Blascoa ephedrae with 18,75%. In 2010 we obtained no exemplar of Idiomacromerus pallistigmus, this species being a primary parasitoid of Blascoa ephedrae, this situation being probably the explanation of the double value of domination of this phytophagous pteromalid. In 2008 we collect 4200 seeds from Letea and obtained 0,9% damage of seeds and rearing 5 taxon: Nikanoria sp., Idiomacromerus pallistigmus, Eupelmus microzonus, Blascoa ephedrae and one species from Diptera (Chloropidae). Nikanoria sp. was the more abundant species with 39,47%, followed by Idiomacromerus pallistigmus with 31,57%.

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P15

Comparative analysis of fish biodiversity from the Adriatic and the Aegean watersheds in the Republic of Macedonia

Trajce Talevski1, Aleksandra Talevska2

1 University “St.Kliment Ohridski”, PSI Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia

2 University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Student square 16, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia

Corresponding author: Trajce Talevski, e-mail: tratal2001@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: This paper is result of long-term researches of ichthyofauna from R.Macedonia. Waters in R. Macedonia belong to three watersheds: Aegean, Adriatic and Black Sea. The River Vardar and its tributaries (rivers Treska, Lepenec, Pcinja, Crna, Bregalnica and other) and River Strumica belong to the Aegean Sea watershed. Also in this watershed belongs and the Lake Dojran. This area covers 86.9 % of the Macedonian territory. Crn Drim catchment area (Adriatic Sea watershed) includes Lake Prespa, Lake Ohrid and River Crn Drim with its tributaries on the Macedonian side (River Radika). This area covers 13% of the Macedonian territory. River Binacka Morava belongs to the Danube catchment area watershed, respectively to Black Sea watershed. This area covers 0.1% of the Macedonian territory. At the territory of R. Macedonia are present total of sixteen families which include eighty one fish species. In family Petromyzonidae there are two species, Acipenseridae – one species, Anguillidae – one species, Clupeidae – one species, Cyprinidae – forty-eight species, Cobitidae – five species, Nemacheilidae – three species, Ictaluridae – one species, Siluridae – one species, Esocidae – one species, Salmonidae – eleven species, Poecilidae – one species, Cottidae – one species, Centrarhidae – one species, Percidae – two species and in Blennidae belong one species. Quite a large number of species was introduced in the last fifty years ago. But, also, many fish species are endemic to one or the other catchment area.

84 |

P16

Parasite fauna of chub (Squalis squalis Bonaparte, 1837) from the Lake Ochrid (R. Macedonia)

Stojmir Stojanovski1, N. Hristovski2, Lidija Velkova-Jordanoska1,

D. Blazekovic-Dimovska2, Gj. Atanasov3

1 Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia 2 Faculty of Biotechnical Sciences, Bitola, Republic of Macedonia 3 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Stojmir Stojanovski, e-mail: stojstoi@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: During the parasitological investigations on Squalius squalus from Lake Ohrid (Macedonia), are found 13 parasite species: Myxobolus müelleri, Dactylogyrus sphyrna, D. folkmanovae, D. vistulae, Paradiplozoon ergensi, Allocreadium isoporum, Ligula intestinalis (plerocerkoid), Philometra ovata, Raphidascaris acus, Contracaecum microcephalum (larva), Metechinorhynchus truttae, Acanthocephalus anguillae and Pomphorhynchus bosniacus. The total prevalence of infestation is 77,87% and the highest prevalence is of Pomphorhynchus bosniacus (found in 42,13% of chubs). The average intensity of infestation is 6,51, and the highest level is that of Allocreadium isoporum (5,83). Findings of Myxobolus müelleri, Allocreadium isoporum and Acanthocephalus anguillae represent first record for Squalius squalus from Lake Ohrid. Among the parasite species found out in chub from the Lake Ohrid, the greatest pathological influence is associated with Dactylogyrus vistulae, Paradiplozoon ergensi, Ligula intestinalis (plerocercoid), Metechinorhynchus truttae and Pomphorhynchus bosniacus.

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P17

First record of Grossuana angeltsekovi Glöer & Georgiev, 2009 (Gastropoda: Risooidea) from Greece

Dilian Georgiev

Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, University of Plovdiv, Tzar Assen Str. 24, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Dilian Georgiev, e-mail: diliangeorgiev@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: In this paper we report the first finding of a representative of the genus Grossuana from the Greek Rhodopes Mt – Grossuana angeltsekovi Glöer & Georgiev, 2009 which is and the first record of the species for this country. The locality is a karstic spring, Rodopi county, Papikio Oros, near Vronti (= 4 km N of Kerasia) (445 m alt.). The material is stored in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest.

86 |

P18

Two new species of stygobiotic snails from the genus Bythiospeum (Gastropoda: Hydrobiidae) from Bulgaria

Dilian Georgiev

Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, University of Plovdiv, Tzar Assen Str. 24, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Dilian Georgiev, e-mail: diliangeorgiev@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: In this paper we describe two new species of Bythiospeum Bourguignat 1882, a genus including only stygobiotic species, from two caves in Bulgaria: Bythiospeum pandurskii n. sp. – Vodna Pesht cave, near village of Lipnitsa, Botevgrad town district, Stara Planina Mt, N43 00 40.2 E23 44 46.5, 462 m alt., and Bythiospeum dourdeni n. sp. – Chuchura cave near Velchovtsi area of the village of Stantchov Han, Tryavna district, Stara Planina Mt, N42 47 58.0 E25 34 23.7, 573 m alt.

| 87

P19

Variation of morphometric characters of astragalus tarsal bone in Bos taurus L., 1758 (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) from the neolithic sites of the Vinča culture on the Balkan peninsula

Darko Radmanović1, Desanka Kostić2, Jelena Lujić1, Svetlana Blažić2

1 Museum of Vojvodina, Dunavska 35-37, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia 2 Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, Dositej Obradovic Square 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Corresponding author: Jelena Lujić, e-mail: lujicjelena@gmail.com, jelena.lujic@dbe.uns.ac.rs

ABSTRACT: The sample of astragalus tarsal bone of adult individuals of domestic animal Bos taurus L. from 6 Neolithic sites of the Vinča culture on the Balkan Peninsula: Serbia (Gomolava and Divostin); Bosnia and Herzegovina (Obre I and Obre II), FYR Macedonia (Anzabegovo) and Greece (Sitagroi), was analysed for the standard characters: GLl, GLm, Dl, Bd and Dm, wherein the statistical analysis was done for the GLl, Bd and Dm. Determination and processing of the osteological material from Gomolava site were done in the Museum of Vojvodina in Novi Sad, and concerning other researched sites, the original published measurements were used. The analysis of taxonomic-morphologic characters was done on the sample of 979 astragalus bones of adult individuals of Bos genus. Among the above mentioned number of specimens, it was determined that 97% of astragalus bone samples belongs to the cattle Bos taurus L., while 3% of the sample belongs to the wild species Bos primigenius Boj. Scatter data analysis of astragalus bones for Bos taurus shows perceivable separation of data in two groups, and it can be assumed that they represent gender categories. Based on the result obtained by cluster analysis, it was determined that there is separation of the results in two categories for the researched sites. The first cluster consists of only Gomolava I site, while other sites are arranged within the second cluster. Taking into consideration all the obtained data, it can be concluded that Gomolava site is singled out when compared to other researched sites.

88 |

P20

Cases of colouration anomalies of small mammals from Bulgaria

Nedko Nedialkov1, Yordan Koshev2, Ivaylo Raykov3, Georgy Bardarov4

1 National Museum of Natural History – Bulgarian Academy of Science, 1 Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

2 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research – Bulgarian Academy of Science, 2 Gagarin Str., 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

3 Museum of Natural History – Varna, 41 Maria Luiza Blvd., 9000 Varna, Bulgaria 4 Dvanadeseta Str., 5287 Vardim, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Nedko Nedialkov, e-mail: nnedko@gmail.com, bgsouslik@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: The paper presents cases of atypical colouration in Crocidura leucodon, Talpa europaea and Mus sp. from Bulgaria. Short morphological descriptions of the specimens and discussion about possible causes for colouration anomalies are given. Probably the record of albino form of adult specimen of C. leucodon is the first of available literature, which was accurately species determined.

| 89

P21

Height Mountain species from subfamily Aphidiinae (Braconidae, Hymenoptera) from Bulgaria

Ognian Todorov

Regional Museum of Natural History – Plovdiv, 34 Hr. G. Danov Str., Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Ognian Todorov, e-mail: ogi_lion@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: Afidiids were collected from timberline areas of some of highest Bulgarian mountains between 1463 m and 2860 m. Twenty fore species from nine genera are determinate from five height Bulgarian mountains. Fore species are new for the Balkan fauna (Pauesia silvestris, Pauesia similis, Trioxys lambersi, Trioxys mutilus). Six species are new for the Bulgarian fauna (Aphidius colemani, Aphidius ribis, Pauesia silvestris, Pauesia similis, Trioxys lambersi, Trioxys mutilus). The parasitoids are collected with tree different methods: Pitfall traps, Tree traps and entomological net.

90 |

P22

Four new harvestmen records from Turkey (Arachnida: Opiliones)

Plamen Mitov

Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sofia, 8 Dragan Tzankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Plamen Mitov, e-mail: mitovplamen@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Up till now, a total of 91 harvestmen species have been recorded from Turkey. The present study adds four further records – Mediostoma stussineri, Rilaena buresi, Rafalskia olympica bulgarica, and Dasylobus beschkovi – to the Turkish opilionid fauna. For each of these, detailed data on the collecting locality and general distribution are provided, and their conservation status is commented upon.

| 91

P23

Earthworms (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) of Bulgaria: diversity and biogeographical consideration

Mirjana Stojanović1, Ralitsa Tsekova2, Tanja Milutinović1

1 Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, R. Domanovića 12, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia;

2 Sofia University, Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology and EP, 8 Dragan Tzankov blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Ralitsa Tsekova, e-mail: ralvir@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: In this paper we summarize the current knowledge on earthworm diversity in the eastern part of the Balkans, in the state of Bulgaria. During the earthworm investigations in 2009, 2010 and 2011 in the western and southwestern part of Bulgaria, fifteen earthworm species were recorded altogether. Among them, Lumbricus meliboeus was recorded for the first time in Bulgaria, which represents the easternmost occurrence of this species at the European scale. On the basis of existing information on the earthworms from the entire territory of Bulgaria, we have tried to summarize all published data and have established the list for the whole Bulgaria. The list underlines the diversity and zoogeographical position of earthworms. Now, on the grounds of the previous and our investigations, the lumbricids from the entire territory of Bulgaria are represented by 53 taxa, belonging to 15 genera of the family Lumbricidae. Most of the taxa belong to the genera Aporrectodea, Dendrobaena and Allolobophora, 10, 9 and 8 taxa respectively.With respect to the zoogeographic situation, the largest number of them belongs to Еndemic, Peregrine, and Trans-Aegean species. The degree of endemism is relatively high. The endemic species take part with 30,18% in the total number of the species. The endemic species belong to the genera Cernosvitovia (3 taxa), Octodrilus (3 taxa), Allolobophora (3 taxa), Dendrobaena (3 taxa), Aporrectodea (2 taxa), Helodrilus (1 taxon) and Spermophorodrilus (1 taxon).

92 |

P24

Distribution and threat status of endemic earthworm Dendrobaena rhodopensis (Černosvitov 1937) on the Balkan Peninsula

Mirjana Stojanović1, Ralitsa Tsekova2, Jovana Milanović1, Tanja Milutinović1

1 Faculty of Science, Institute of Biology and Ecology, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia

2 Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology, Sofia University, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Ralitsa Tsekova, e-mail: ralvir@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: The aim of this paper is to present the data from our own collecting and, by analyzing the whole list of records, to trace a synthetics outline of the current and potential distribution and threat status of endemic earthworm Dendrobaena rhodopensis in the whole territory of the Balkans. It was first described from Bulgaria, Rila Mts. Later on it has been found in several localities of the Balkans: Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia. Until the present, the northernmost findings of the species have been in the serbian part of the Western Stara Planina Mts. and the southernmost point in its distribution is in Greece. Considering that this species is mostly characteristic of the mountain ranges in the Balkans, we elaborate its possible moving routes throughout the Balkans and assume that Dendrobaena rhodopensis apparently has two distant centres of diffusion. The major centre involves the Rila Mt. area and the second less important extension occupies a part of the Dinaric Alps (Durmitor Mt. and Bjelasica Mt.). The region of Rila Mt., as the major distribution center, has a high responsibility for the global survival of Dendrobaena rhodopensis. According to the IUCN (2011) Red List Categories analysis, we have included Dendrobaena rhodopensis in the category Endangred (biii, v and cii–iv) on a global level.

| 93

P25

Total IgE concentration evaluation and assessment of its diagnostic value in patients with toxocarosis

Eleonora Kaneva, Iskra Raynova

Department of Parasitilogy and Tropical Medicine, NCIPD, 26 Yanko Sakazov blvd., 1504 Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Eleonora Kaneva, e-mail: kaneva@ncipd.org

ABSTRACT: Toxocarosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the larvae of Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati, frequently observed nematodes in dogs and cats. The disease has no specific clinical symptoms focusing its diagnostics mainly on serological methods which capture specific IgG toxocara antibodies which, however, can persist in years and therefore it is difficult to distinguish acute from chronic infection. Hence in the everyday diagnostic practice other tests are applied like follow-up of the eosinophilia level and the concentration of the total sera IgE. According to Magnaval et al (2001) additional proof for acute toxocarosis is the increase of the total sera IgE above 500 IU/ml is. Therefore the aim of our study is evaluation through ELISA of the total IgE level and assessment of its diagnostic value in sera from patients with toxocarosis. The study includes total of 60 sera from patients with clinical and serological data for toxocarosis. ELISA (EUROIMMUN) was used to evaluate the sera IgE concentration according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The results are denoted in international units – IU/ml and the test reference margins are from 1,2 to 199 IU/ml depending on the patients’ age. Testing sera from patients with toxocarosis in ELISA IgE showed that 31 have level of total sera IgE up to 200 IU/ml; 13 have from 200 to 500 IU/ml and for the rest 16 (26,7%) it is above 500 IU/ml. The results indicate that studying total sera IgE in patients with toxocarosis can to a big extent support the determination of infection’s stage and therapeutical methods.

94 |

P26

Serologic findings of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme borreliosis, in rodents

Iva Christova1, Hristo Dimitrov2, Vesela Mitkovska2, Iva Trifonova1,

Nikolay Kalvatchev1, Teodora Gladnishka1, Evgenya Taseva1,

Vladislava Ivanova1, Anelia Stojanova2

1 National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, 26 Yanko Sakazov blvd., 1504 Sofia, Bulgaria

2 Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Iva Hristova, e-mail: iva_christova@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Lyme borreliosis is the most common tick-borne infection in Bulgaria. It usually appears as local inflammatory skin lesion. This lesion, if untreated, can progress to severe injury of nervous system, joints, skin, hearth, eyes. Small mammals serve as main reservoir of the causative agent, borreliae that are transmitted to humans by tick bites. Objective: The aim of this study was to search distribution and rate of infection with borreliae of rodents trapped in different regions of Bulgaria. Materials and methods: Indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test for detection of antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi in blood samples of rodents was developed and optimized. Sonicated B. burgdorferi cells in 10 μg/ml concentration were coated on the wells of 96-well plates as antigen. Results and discussion: Using in-house developed ELISA test, antibodies against B. burgdorferi were detected in 85 (30%) of 284 investigated rodents. Of them, 49 were Apodemus flavicollis, 32 were Apodemus agrarius, and 4 were Apodemus sylvaticus. It means that 38,3% (49/128) of investigated A. flavicollis, 33,3% (32/96) of investigated A. agrarius and 36,4% (4/11) of A. sylvaticus were infected with borreliae. High rate of infection in investigated rodents is an indicator for the risk of infection in humans and argues the need of adequate preventive measures. *This study was supported by Bulgarian Sciense Fund, Project number: DVU 02/26

| 95

P27

Seasonal analyses in Lake Ochrid pelagial zone water on basis of microbiological and physicochemical parameters

Vera Novevska1, Elizabeta Veljanoska-Sarafiloska1, Ksenija Novevski2

1 Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, 6000 Ohrid, R. Macedonia 2 Gimnazija “Svetozar Marković”, Njegoševa Str. 22, 21000 Novi Sad, R. Serbia

Corresponding author: Vera Novevska, e-mail: vnovevska2001@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: Water analyses on basis of certain microbiological and physico-chemical parameters were conducted in Lake Ohrid pelagial water, during 2011 year. Water samples were collected for this purpose from a vertical water column with maximum depth of 240m at 1, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 75, 100, 150 and 240m depth. Organotrophic bacteria were investigated in terms of microbiological analyses (facultative oligotrophic and carbon hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria), whereas temperature, transparency, organic matter and total phosphorus were investigated in physico-chemical analyses. The aim of this work was to determine the situation in water in the corresponding region through these parameters using the obtained results of the analysed parameters. Water categorisation by Tumpling (1996) using the number of the organotrophic bacteria evidenced I class quality of the water. According to the Carlson trophic state index and OECD classification Lake Ohrid affiliates with the group of oligotrophic aquatic ecosystems.

96 |

P28

Developmental stability and nutritional quality in fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Sofija Pavković-Lučić, Luka Lučić, Dragana Miličić, Vladimir Kekić

University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Corresponding author: Sofija Pavković-Lučić, e-mail: sofija@bio.bg.ac.rs

ABSTRACT: Developmental stability is usually defined as ability of a genotype to undergo stable development of a phenotype under a wide range of environmental conditions. The most common method of estimating developmental stability is fluctuating asymmetry (FA). FA studies were very numerous during past decades, mostly in determining the effect of environmental and/or genomic stress, and also related to sexual selection, animal signalling and communication. Here we report results of comparing the FA levels in certain bilateral morphological traits in different strains of Drosophila melanogaster, after years of rearing on different substrates. These diets include standard laboratory food (cornmeal sugar-agar-yeast medium) as well as substrates that contain fruits and vegetables. Flies were scored for different bilateral morphological traits, which are important for locomotion, flying and other behaviors. FA levels in all morphological traits analyzed did not differ between flies originated from different nutritive environments. These results will be discussed in relation to recent data concerning FA and nutritional variations.

| 97

P29

Temporal and spatial distribution of fauna of Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophildae) in Belgrade, Serbia

Sofija Pavković-Lučić, Vladimir Kekić

University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Corresponding author: Sofija Pavković-Lučić, e-mail: sofija@bio.bg.ac.rs

ABSTRACT: Experimental researches using Drosophila flies in Serbia started in the 1960s. Beside laboratory genetic investigations, field studies were obtained, oriented also to systematic faunistic-ecological studies. During such a long period, numerous faunistic studies of family Drosophilidae in Serbia were published, and, many information considering species diversity, distribution and abundance, habitat preference and behavior are available. Here we report results of field investigations considering temporal and spatial distribution of the fauna of Drosophila in Belgrade, Serbia. The species of Drosophila found in specific localities show fine differences in temporal and spatial distribution. For example, two sibling species, D. melanogaster and D. simulans are numerous, but D. simulans is dominant in city parks, whereas D. melanogaster prevails on balconies, closed markets and store-rooms. Diurnal activities of Drosophila species were also analyzed. Different modes of such activities were obtained: in the Botanic Garden of Belgrade, in July, D. testacea is most active in the morning hours, D. subobscura has two peaks of activity, whereas D. simulans is equally active from early morning to late evening. However, the rhythm of a daily activity of a studied species may differ both spatially (from one to another microhabitat), as well as temporally (from one month to another). Seasonal changes in the composition of the most abundant Drosophila species in Belgrade will be also presented and discussed in relation to their ecology and behavior.

98 |

P30

Estimation of ethological isolation and wing morphology between two strains of Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera, Drosophilidae) after rearing on banana and carrot substrates during several years

Jelena Trajković1, Sofija Pavković-Lučić1, Tatjana Savić2

1 University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia 2 University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, Despota Stefana Blvd. 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia

Corresponding author: Sofija Pavković-Lučić, e-mail: sofija@bio.bg.ac.rs

ABSTRACT: Different environmental factors are important for development, behaviour, physiology and therefore adaptation of Drosophila species. Additionally, presence of genetic and phenotypic variation in traits affecting mate choice forms the basis for sexual selection that may lead to isolation between populations in different nutritive environments. Ethological isolation is one of the main types of speciation in Drosophila. The aim of this research was to determine whether flies were sexually isolated after years of growing on banana and carrot substrates. Flies were also scored for wing size and shape, which are very useful characteristics for considerations of environmental effects. The results showed absence of sexual isolation between two Drosophila melanogaster strains. Furthermore, females originating from banana medium rather choose males originating from carrot substrate, while females developed on carrot medium equally choose males developed on both substrates. Observed results indicate the existence of Drosophila wing size and shape sexual dimorphism. Results pointed out that nutritive substrate could be considered as a potential factor that influence wing size and shape during the embryonic and post-embryonic development.

| 99

P31

Effects of low temperature on adult emergence of two different Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) strains

Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu1, Nesrin Lıman

1 Marmara University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, İstanbul, Turkey

Corresponding author: Z. Ulya Nurullahoğlu, e-mail: nulya28@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT: In the present study, we aimed to compare the differences of Turkish and German strains of G. mellonella after low temperature acclimations. Effects of 4°C and 0°C acclimations on adult emergence and female ratio of both strains of G. mellonella pupae were investigated. Depending on the low temperature acclimation periods, increasing of exposure time caused decreasing of adult emergence. Additionally, by the increasing of acclimation time, ratio of abnormal adult female emergence increased significantly. 0°C acclimations caused more significant effects than 4°C acclimations. The results showed that it is suitable to maintain for both strains at 4°C for 10 days and German strain was found more resistant than Turkish strain against low temperature.

100 |

P32

Relationships between phytoplankton and zooplankton in Lake Ohrid

Suzana Patceva, Dafina Guseska, V. Mitic, Orchideja Tasevska

Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, 6000 Ohrid, R. Macedonia

Corresponding author: Suzana Patceva, e-mail: spatceva@hio.edu.mk

ABSTRACT: Investigations of phytoplankton, as one of the most important components of the aquatic ecosystems and their functioning, as well as investigations of zooplankton as important constituent in the food chains in the pelagic aquatic ecosystems, have important role for the water quality estimation and stability of aquatic ecosystems. This study evaluates the relationships between phytoplankton and zooplankton in ancient Lake Ohrid. During the investigated period (2007-2009) the complex investigation of the phytoplankton and zooplankton were done, as well as the content of chlorophyll a, as important parameter for the water trophic state. According to the analyses of the qualitative composition of phytoplankton, the pelagic zone of the Lake Ohrid was poor with species and in the investigated period 35 taxa were recorded. During these investigations, for the first time in the Lake Ohrid was recorded the green algae Scenedesmus arcuatus var. platydisca G.M. Smith, with significant participation in the phytoplankton during the whole investigated period. According to the zooplankton analyses, in the Lake Ohrid pelagic zone during the investigated period 17 taxa were registered. The number of the recorded taxa was smaller than in the previous investigated periods. With insignificant quantitative differences during the whole period the Copepoda representatives were dominant. At the second place, in terms of their quantitative composition and percentage participation in the total zooplankton, were Rotifera representatives. Simple statistics revealed a positive stronger correlation only between Cladocera group of the zooplankton and phytoplankton. This suggests that algae are an important food resource for the cladocerian species.

| 101

P33

Comparison of the presence of DDT metabolites in sediments and fish from Lakes Ohrid, Prespa and Dojran (Republic of Macedonia)

Elizabeta Veljanoska-Sarafiloska1, Trajče Stafilov2

1 Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, 6000 Ohrid, R. Macedonia 2 Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, POB 162, MK-100 Skopje, R. Macedonia

Corresponding author: Elizabeta Veljanoska-Sarafiloska, e-mail: betisaraf@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: The organochlorine pesticides has been detected in the samples of sediment and muscle tissue of fish (barbel) collected from the three natural lake ecosystems in the Republic of Macedonia, i.e. Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa and Lake Dojran, in the period from 2004 to 2006. Special attention has been paid to the presence of the insecticide DDT degradation products, 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethane (p,p’-DDT), 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (p,p’-DDE) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (p,p’-DDD), as dominant components in comparison to the other organochlorine pesticides. The results that have been obtained indicated that dominant metabolic forms in the samples of sediment from Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa is p,p’-DDE. The mean values for the content of this forms has been estimated at 0.84 μg kg-1 dry sediment in the samples collected from Ohrid and 1.56 μg kg-1 dry sediment in the samples from Lake Prespa. In the samples of sediment that have been collected from Lake Dojran, the dominant was the p,p’-DDT form, while it’s content has been estimated at 4.06 μg kg-1 dry sediment. The highest values for the content of the sum of DDT metabolic forms in the fish muscle tissue have been evidenced in the samples of fish collected from Lake Dojran and the average value of this sum has been estimated at 16.38 μg kg-1 fresh tissue. The dominant metabolic forms for the analyzed muscle tissues of fish for all three lake ecosystems has been p,p’-DDE. The content of this form have been estimated at 5.98 μg kg-1, 7.21 μg kg-1 and 9.77 μg kg-1 for the samples collected from Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa and Lake Dojran, respectively. Thus, the highest evidenced value for the presence of p,p’-DDE has been recorded for the samples collected from Lake Dojran, i.e. 9,77 μg kg-1 fresh tissue. The low level of solubility in water, persistency, lipophilicity, as well as the bioaccumulation of this persistent group of organic pollutants (POP’s), including the insecticide DDT, as well as the trophic status of the aquatic ecosystem in question are main reason for their presence in the investigated matrices of sediments and muscle tissue of fish.

102 |

P34

Long-term investigations of the biomass of Crustacea: Copepoda, Cladocera in the Lake Ohrid pelagic zone

Dafina Guseska, Orhideja Tasevska, Goce Kostoski

Department of zooplankton, Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, 6000 Ohrid, R. Macedonia

Corresponding author: Orhideja Tasevska, e-mail: orhidejat@hio.edu.mk

ABSTRACT: Zooplankton play vital roles in the aquatic ecosystem, so, it can be used as an indicator of ecosystem changes. The mean temperature of the biosphere is increasing on land and – after a lag-phase – in the lakes. Global change, a combination of both natural and anthropogenic processes, impacts heavily upon the freshwater environments. In freshwater environments, as well as in the oligotrophic Lake Ohrid we expect to observe, among other things, changes in zooplankton population density and biomass. In this paper, the seasonal dynamic of the total biomass of the Lake Ohrid pelagic Crustacea: Cladocera and Copepoda for the period 2000 – 2009 are presented. During the investigated period in the total Crustacea biomass with the greater part participates copepods (especially larval copepodid stages). Significant increase in the zooplankton density and in the total crustacean biomass was recorded during the summer period 2004, as rezult of the especially high values of the copepods biomass. High values of the zooplankton biomass were evidenced also in the summer period 2008, when in the surface water layers higher temperatures were measured. In this period, the biomass of copepods is smaller than in 2004, while the biomass of cladoceras, especially of Daphnia pulicaria and Diaphanosoma birgei lacustris signigicantly increased in comparison with other investigated periods. High values of the cladocera’s biomass were registered in the autumn period 2009, 2010 and 2011 also. The obtained results imply significant changes in zooplankton community as well as changes in water quality in Lake Ohrid pelagial.

| 103

P35

Spawning grounds of cyprinid fish in the eastern shoreline of Lake Ohrid

Marina Talevska, Trajce Talevski

PSI Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia

Corresponding author: Marina Talevska, e-mail: mtalevska2000@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: This paper is result of long-term researches of macrophyte vegetation and ichthyofauna from Lake Ohrid. The researches are performed by the Department of Hydrobotany and Department of Cyprinid fauna from Hydrobiological Institute – Ohrid, R.Macedonia. The goal of this paper was to research the spawning grounds of the Ohrid cyprinid fish. Those are: white chub, moranec, roach, carp, barbel, gudgeon, rudd, bleak and others. The different cyprinid fishes are spawning in particular month in the spring-summer period, in different regions of Lake Ohrid and in different substrates. The researches were performed in 22 localities from eastern shoreline of the Lake: Ajvan plaza 1, Ajvan plaza 2, Park 1, Park 2, Park 3, Biljana, Inex 1, Inex 2, Slavija, St.Stephan, Sutjeska, Granit, Belvi, Metropol, Lagadin, Elesec, Mali kamen, Krusa, Pestani 1, Pestani 2, Pestani 3 and Nivici. The results show that the beginning of cyprinid fish spawning is at the same time with the development of macrophyte vegetation in the littoral region of Lake Ohrid. In the researched localities along eastern shoreline of lake were evidenced different macrophyte species, which primarily serve as a spawning place for many species of cyprinid fish, as well as food and shelter. Anthropogenic pressure which is much expressed in the second half of the 20 century provokes changes in the quality of the water, and structure of the bottom. Those changes necessarily provoke changes in the qualitative and quantitative composition of macrophyte vegetation, and in spawning grounds of the Ohrid cyprinid fish.

104 |

P36

Comparison of pelagic rotifer communities in three natural Macedonian lakes

Orhideja Tasevska, Dafina Guseska, Goce Kostoski

Department of zooplankton, Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, 6000 Ohrid, R. Macedonia

Corresponding author: Orhideja Tasevska, e-mail: orhidejat@hio.edu.mk

ABSTRACT: We investigated pelagic rotifers in three natural Macedonian lakes: Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa and Lake Dojran in the period 2004 – 2006. Qualitative analyses of rotifer composition in Lakes Ohrid, Prespa and Dojran showed presence of 11, 8 and 17 taxa, respectively. Rotifer assemblages differed in their community structure, population density and the occurrence pattern of dominant species. The density of rotifers increased with increasing nutrient concentration. Their mean annual density in the Lake Ohrid was 93 ind m–3, in the Lake Prespa was 1964 ind m–3, whereas in the Lake Dojran it was 11665 ind m–3. Gastropus stylifer and Keratella cochlearis were the most abundant species in the pelagic zone of Lake Ohrid, contributing 29% and 15% to rotifer abundance. In the pelagic zone of Lake Prespa, Keratella quadrata and Filinia longiseta as the most abundant species contributed with 40% and 21% to rotifer abundance. Contrary, in the pelagic zone of Lake Dojran, the rotifer species assemblage was dominated by Brachionus spp. B. diversicornis and B. calyciflorus f. amphiceros were the most abundant species, comprising 40% and 25% of total rotifer densities. The vertical distributions of rotifers in the lakes were related to both biotic and abiotic variables. The results demonstrated the relationships between the number of structural characteristics of rotifer species and the trophic state of the investigated lakes.

| 105

P37

Small mammal habitat associations in the area of Strandzha Mountain (SE Bulgaria)

Sirma Zidarova

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tzar Osvoboditel blvd., Sofia 1000, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Sirma Zidarova, e-mail: s.zidarova@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Spatial patterns of associations of small mammals (Eulipotyphla and Rodentia) in model habitats in the area of “Strandzha” Nature Park were studied. Three sampling methods were used: pitfall traps, live traps and visual observations. Seven species from order Eulipotyphla and 8 species from order Rodentia were recorded. Most common species in the investigated area were Apodemus sp. and Crocidura suaveolens. The degree of qualitative similarity among small mammals associations was evaluated by means of Dice’s coefficient. Highest similarity was observed between localities characterized by low small mammal diversity, predominantly with dry substratum. Forest habitats with higher small mammal biodiversity formed three groups of similarity: habitats dominated by Fagus orientalis Lipsky, forests dominated by Quercus sp. with well developed undergrouth, and wet riparian habitats. Cluster analysis of quantitive similarity among small mammal assamblages differentiated two large groups of habitats in Strandzha Mountain. The first group represents wet forest habitats, dominated by Sylvaemus sp. и Sorex minutus. The second one is a more heterogeneous group composed of two subgroups: dry habitats strongly dominated by C. suaveolens, and wet riparian habitats, where Crocidura suaveolens is most numerous again, but Neomys anomalus is a common species as well. TWINSPAN analysis demonstrated the role of vegetation cover as the most important factor for the spatial distribution of rodent and insectivorous species in the researched area and the secondary importance of climatic conditions.

106 |

P38

Study on carabid beetles’ communities (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in typical habitats of Strandzha Mt.

Rumyana Kostova, Elena Tasheva

Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University, 8 “Dragan Tzankov” blvd., Sofia, 1164, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Rumyana Kostova, e-mail: rumy.kostova@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: This study presents preliminary results on the assessment of the diversity and spatial structure of carabid beetles’ complexes in typical habitats of Strandzha Mountain. Studied sites are of high conservation importance and located in the different vegetation-climatic zones: coastal zone, zone of the Rhododendrons, high zone, and northwest dry zone. High level of dissimilarity between sites was found by ANOSIM, showing a unique species composition in each site. Diversity indices demonstrated the highest species richness and highest diversity in the open area riverside site. Diversity models of the beetles communities were made also. Ordination of the communities showed that the sites were distributed along main gradient – the type of tree vegetation and density of the shrubs and herbs below. The carabids’ communities were arranged in the following sequence: oriental beech trees with low density of the undergrowth, oaks with thick undergrowth, riverside with trees and low density of undergrowth, open area riverside with occasional trees and shrubs, longoz forest with high density of undergrowth. The use of studied parameters in a long term monitoring scheme of the environmental changes was discussed.

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P39

Diet of Saker falcon (Falco cherrug) from Moldova and Ukraine

Nedko Nedialkov1, Dimitar Ragyov2, Zlatozar Boev3, Andrew Dixon4

1 National Museum of Natural History – Bulgarian Academy of Science, 1 Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

2 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research – Bulgarian Academy of Science, 2 Gagarin Str., 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

3 National Museum of Natural History – Bulgarian Academy of Science, 1 Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

4 International Wildlife Consultants (UK) Ltd., PO box 19, Carmarthen SA 33 5YL UK

Corresponding author: Nedko Nedialkov, e-mail: nnedko@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Prey remains and pellets of the Saker falcon were collected in the breeding season at 6 nest sites from Moldova and 15 nest sites form Ukraine, in 2008 – 2012 (about 400 prey items). Sousliks were the most abundant prey group with 78,2% (by number) in Moldova and 34,2 % in Ukraine respectively. Our data on the food of saker falcon were compared with all the literary data available in both countries.

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P40

Habitat preferences and relative abundance of small mammals (Mammalia: Insectivora and Rodentia) from West Trakia valley, Bulgaria

Nedko Nedialkov1, Yordan Koshev2

1 National Museum of Natural History – Bulgarian Academy of Science, 1 Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

2 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research – Bulgarian Academy of Science, 2 Gagarin Str., 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Nedko Nedialkov, e-mail: nnedko@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: The relative abundance and habitat preference of small mammals in major habitats types in Trakia valley were studied for three year period (2009 – 2011). Total of 678 small mammal individuals were examined from 14 species (6 Insectivora and 8 Rodentia). The most common species were Microtus arvalis/rossiameridionalis (25%), Neomys anomalus (23%), and Crocidura suaveolens (15%). The new localities of relatively rare species Suncus etruscus were reported.

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P41

Paleo-ecological reconstruction of the locality of Perunika village in Eastern Rhodopes Bulgaria) during the Upper Eocene, based on Molluscs (Mollusca: Gastropoda, Bivalvia)

Slaveya Petrova1, Elvan Mehmed, Ivelin Mollov1, Dilian Georgiev1

1 Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, University of Plovdiv, Tzar Assen Str. 24, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Slaveya Petrova, e-mail: sl.petrova@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: During the current study 111 fossil specimens were collected from the region of Perunika Village, Eastern Rhodopes Mountain in Bulgaria, from whichthere were minimum 14 species of gastropods from 11 genera, and 3 species of mussels from 3 genera. Most of the species were with Priabonian age, and the rest were with more wide vertical distribution among the whole upper Eocene. The gastropods strongly predominated with 100 specimens while the mussels were rare, and were less than 10% from all the molluscs collected. From the snails the specimens from the genus Globularia prevailed with 43%, followed by genus Borsonia with 15%. The other snail genera had only few specimens registered and were from 2 to 8% from all. The age of the studied sediments can be related to the Priabonian on the base of the determined molluscs fauna. The registered gastropods indicate an ancient warm and shallow sea with oligo- to mesohaline waters.

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P42

Trophic niche breadth and overlap between two sympatric lizard species (Reptilia: Lacertidae) from South Bulgaria

Ivelin Mollov1, Peter Boyadzhiev2, Atanas Donev2

1 University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”, Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

2 University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”, Faculty of Biology, Department of Zoology, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Ivelin Mollov, e-mail: mollov_i@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: The material for the current study was collected in 1980 – 1981 in surrounding of Purvomai Town in South Bulgaria. The seasonal variation of the trophic spectrum of two sympatric lizards (Lacerta viridis and Podarcis tauricus) is presented as well as the species’ trophic niche breadth and niche overlap. The possible ecological aspects of interspecific competition are discussed.

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P43

Assessing the influence of the automobile traffic on the amphibians and reptiles in the buffer zone of Biosphere Reserve “Srebarna” (NE Bulgaria)

Ivelin Mollov1, Krasimir Kirov2, Slaveya Petrova1, Dilian Georgiev1, Iliana Velcheva1

1 University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”, Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

2 Regional Inspection of Environment and Waters – Russe, 20 Pridunavski Bld., 7012 Russe, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Ivelin Mollov, e-mail: mollov_i@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: Currently the problem of the effects of the road network and traffic on the amphibians and reptiles in Bulgaria is poorly studied. During the period March 2002 – March 2004 in the Buffer Zone of Biosphere Reserve "Srebarna" (NE Bulgaria) were built two anti-fire roads from the eastern and western side of the lake in area of grasslands of semi-steppe type, typical for north-eastern Bulgaria. The aim of the constructed roads is to provide access for fire vehicles to areas in and around the reserve. The current study aims to provide data on the impact of road traffic and road network on the amphibians and reptiles inhabiting the buffer zone of the biosphere reserve "Srebarna".

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P44

Тhe tabanid fauna (Diptera: Tabanidae) of the Chirpan Eminences (Bulgaria)

Diana Ganeva, Milena Kalmishka

Department of Biology and aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University, Student Campus 6 000, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Diana Ganeva, e-mail: d_ganeva2000@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: The study of the Chirpan Eminences tabanid fauna was completed by means of a route collection in 2008 and regular monthly collections from two localities during the active tabanid seasons in years 2010-2011. The research resulted in the capturing of 1202 tabanid specimens, 1113 of which female and 74 male. The type of species was determined for 1187 specimens, whereas for 15 – only the genus was identified for now. The processing of the collected from 7 localities 1202 specimens led to identification of 24 species and sub-species from 8 genera: Chrysops (2 species), Atylotus (1 species), Therioplectes (1 species and 1 sub-species), Hybomitra (3 species), Tabanus (12 species and 1 sub-species), Haematopota (1 species), Dasyrhamphis (1 species) and Philipomyia (1 species). Based on published and original data, this study reported the existence of 28 species for the tabanid fauna of the Chirpan Eminences. Thirteen of them were identified for the first time for this region. From a zoogeographical point view, the predominant for the Tabanid fauna of the Chirpan Eminences are the elements of the Mediterranean sub-regional fauna (62.5 %).

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P45

New data on the morphology of two acanthocephalan species from family Polymorphidae from the region of the Durankulak Lake

Zlatka Dimitrova

Department of Biology and aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Thracian University, Student Campus, 6000, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Zlatka Dimitrova, e-mail: zmd@uni-sz.bg

ABSTRACT: The present study was based on acanthocephalans isolated from aquatic birds from the region of the Durankulak Lake (the villages of Krapets and Durankulak) in the period 1989-1998. The specimens were fixed and preserved in 70% ethanol. They were cleared in glycerol (25-100%) or dimethylphthalate and studied in temporary mounts. In the course of the present study, two acanthocephalan species belong to the family Polymorphidae were recorded: Filicollis anatis (Schrank, 1788) Lühe, 1911 from small intestine of Anas platyrhynchos L., Aythya nyroca (Guldenstadt) and Fulica atra L. and Polymorphus (Polymorphus) magnus Skrjabin, 1913 from small intestine of Tachybaptus ruficollis (Pallas) and Aythya ferina (L.). New data of the morphology of these species (the proboscis armature of F. anatis and the hook dimentions of P. magnus) are presented. The critical comments on their morphology are also presented. Aythya nyroca is new host record of Filicollis anatis as well as Aythya ferina is new host record of Polymorphus magnus in Bulgaria. In addition, the occurrence of P. magnus in Tachybaptus ruficollis is new host record. The species are described and figured on the base of the present materials.

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P46

Western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus rudolfi) in Western Rhodope Mountain, Bulgaria: distribution and species habitat modeling

Dimitar Plachiyski1, Georgi Popgeorgiev2, Stoyan Nikolov

1 National Museum of Natural History, Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria 2 Regional Natural History Museum of Plovdiv, 34 Hristo G. Danov Str., 4000 Plovdiv,

Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Georgi Popgeorgiev, e-mail: georgi.popgeorgiev@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: Implementation of integrated approaches for mapping and modelling species distribution is increasingly important in the management and support decisions in the field of biodiversity conservation. Management of species, important for them habitats and predicting potential impacts of land use in this area require detailed information based on knowledge of species distribution and the relationship between distribution and environmental variables. The Capercaillie is forest, grouse bird, listed in Annex I to Directive 2009/147/ES as a species subject to special conservation measures for its habitats. It has narrow preferences for habitats and large spatial requirements, making it a model organism of theoretical and practical interest. The survey for the distribution of Capercaillie leks was conducted between 2009 and 2012, within the season of active displaying. A total of 214 leks within the Western Rhodopes Mountains, Southern Bulgaria were described. The approach used to model the suitability of the habitats and distribution of the species includes: 1) convert of the input data (environment variables and samples) and creation of GIS raster layers; 2) Integration of output data and inductive modelling using Maximum Entropy technique. MaxEnt software was used. This is an open source program for modelling the potential distribution of species based of evidence for their presence. The program randomly selects percentage of data that could be used to verify the generated model and power setting of the parameters significant to the distribution of species. The generated model is compared with the deductive, habitat suitability model for the Capercaillie in Western Rhodopes Mountain, developed in 2010.

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P47

Faunistical and ecological anlysis of small mammals species diversity in Strandzha Natural Park

Nasko Atanasov1, Tsenka Chassovnikarova1, 2, Hristo Dimitrov2, Vesela Mitkovska2

1 Institute of Biodiversity and Ecisyitem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1, Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia 1000, Bulgaria

2 Department of Zoology, Plovdiv University “P. Hilendarski”, 24, Tsar Assen Str., Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Nasko Atanasov, e-mail: naskoat@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: An ecological and faunistical anlysis of local assambleges of small mammals in four major vegetation types (VT) in Strandzha Natural Park (SNP) was conducted. Fourteen small mammal species, five of which from the Insectivora and nine from the Rodentia order, were determined. Species diversity and structure of terrestrial small mammal assemblages were characterized via indices of species diversity (Shannon-Winner), dominancy, (Simpson) and evenness (Pielou). The standardized niche breadth, niche overlap, vegetation types preferrences, and avoidance of the extanted species were established. The diversity of the small mammal local assemblages is influenced by both moisture and nutrient regime. The highest diversity and evenness occur in mesic conditions with relatively diverse herb communities in the moist vegetation types. The antrophogenicaly influenced VT preserve a reasonably high species diversity and stability of small mammals assemblages, which proves their `intermediate disturbance'. The typical for the Strandzha region primary mesophylic mixed deciduous forests have a low number of species in the small mammal assembleges because of the strongly expressed dominancy of wood mice. The carried out faunistical analysis proves the great conservational significance of Strandzha mountain due to its established high average species diversity (0,50).

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P48

Craniometric characteristics of the wild goat (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica Bolkay 1925) from Bulgaria

Svetoslav Gerasimov1, Tsenka Chassovnikarova2, Rosen Andreev1, Petar Genov2

1 University of Forestry, Department of Wildlife Management, 10 Kliment Ohridsky Blvd.,Sofia 1756, Bulgaria

2 Institute of biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, BAS, 1 Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia 1000, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Svetoslav Gerasimov, e-mail: svger@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: The study is based on 94 skulls of wild goats in Bulgaria analyzed in 40 metric signs. The skulls originate from four regions in Bulgaria, inhabited by the wild goat – Stara Planina Mountain (29 skulls – 18 male and 11 female), Rhodope Mountain (27 skulls – 18 males and 9 females), Rila Mountain (11 males and 9 females) and Pirin Mountain (in males and 9 females). The individuals are divided in two age groups for both sexes as a result of statistically proven differences in size: I-st age group of 1 to 3 years – adolescents (18 males and 11 females) and II-nd age group of more than four years older (38 males and 27 females). The scope of the craniometric characteristic includes the geographic variability, age characteristics and sexual dimorphism, examined using statistical evaluation of signs: the t-test, correlation, regression and cluster analyzes. The correlation matrices, characteristic of the regression line and the distribution of signs in the cluster dendrogram showed relatively well expressed similarity for both age-sex groups and for different regions. The lack of significant differences between the signs of the studied skulls from different regions shows that the craniometric characteristics of the goats are not differentiated by regions in Bulgaria. This gives grounds to support the findings that the goats in Bulgaria belong to a subspecies Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica (Bolkay, 1925).

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P49

Geographical characteristics, age-sexual features and trophy quality of the horns of the wild goat (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica Bolkay, 1925) from Bulgaria

Rosen Andreev1, Nino Ninov1, Petar Genov2, Svetoslav Gerasimov1

1 University of Forestry, Department of Wildlife Management, 10 Kliment Ohridsky Blvd., Sofia 1756, Bulgaria

2 Institute of biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, BAS, 1 Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia 1000, Bulgaria

Corresponding author: Svetoslav Gerasimov, e-mail: svger@abv.bg

ABSTRACT: The quality of the game is of an important value for the wildlife hunting management science and practice. For the evaluation on the trophy quality of the horns of the wild goat, we traced their age development, for the male, as well as the female individuals. Measurement of 206 horns for 6 features was obtained: length of the left horn, length of the right horn, height of the horns, maximum circumference of the left horn, maximum circumference of the right horn, and scope of the horns. The most growth was observed during the first three years, which if shown in percentage, is around 31% during the first year, about 50% during the second and about 17% during the third year. The growth during the rest of all years then is almost none – under 2%, for about 10 years. The length and the maximum circumference of the horns have very similar measurements in size of the left and right horns. Yet these two features show a distinguished sex dimorphism. Based on some known differences of the indicators by regions, it is assumed that the mature individuals may have different final trophy score by the points system in CIC – The International Board of fishing and game protection. The exhibits contain the 38 medals given till present, for goat horns of the wild goat, for which, 29 were for male individuals, and 9 – for female ones. Even though the most gold medals were for the wild goats of Pirin, it is difficult make a conclusion for which ones are the most adequate regions, because there are many undervalued, illegally obtained trophies from collectors from different areas in the country.

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SEMINAR-TRAINING “Transmissible diseases”

Moderator: Angel Kunchev, MD and DSc Professor Iva Hristova

The seminar-training is organized jointly with the Ministry of Health, The National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases and the Department of Zoology at the University of Plovdiv. It will bring together the directors of the Directorates “Surveillance of contagious diseases” and biologists from all regional Health Inspections in the country, experts from MH, NCIPD, PU, MAF and BFSA, companies working in the sphere of disinsection and deratisation. (The seminar-training is a part of scientific program of the project DVU 02/26 supported by the Bulgarian Science Fund). Speakers (to be confirmed):

Angel Kunchev, MD, Chief state health inspector, Ministry of Health

Iva Hristova, DSc, Professor, MD, NCIPD

Tencho Tenev, MD, BFSA

Dimitar Bechev, DSc, Professor, PU

Tsenka Chassovnikarova, Dr., Assoc. prof., IBER

Nasko Atanasov, Dr., Assoc. prof., IBER

Anelia Stojanova, Dr., Assoc. prof., PU

Hristo Dimitrov, Dr., Assist. prof., PU

Maya Kicheva, Dr., Progene Ltd.

Antoaneta Stancheva, MD, epidemiologist, HMI

Silviya Bakardzhieva, health manager, HMI

Eliza Koteva, D.D.D.-1, manager

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ROUNDTABLE

Moderator: Tencho Tenev, MD and DSc Professor Iva Hristova, MD

The main objective of the seminar-training and the subsequent roundtable is to analyze and assess the extent of public health threat due to climate changes, leading to the spread of tropical and exotic diseases into new regions of the world. Special attention will be paid to the development of the epidemic process of West Nile fever in Europe and in the Balkans, the risk of occurrence of outbreaks caused by Hantaviruses, the spread of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Bulgaria and the role of different vectors – mosquitoes, arthropods, rodents and ticks in human pathology. (The roundtable is a part of scientific program of the project DVU 02/26 supported by the Bulgarian Science Fund).

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LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Akyildiz, Gürçay Kıvanç Pamukkale University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, Turkey; e-mail: gkakyildiz@pau.edu.tr

Arnaudov, Atanas Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; e-mail: arnaudov@uni-plovdiv.bg

Atanasov, Nasko Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, BAS, Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: nasko2002@zoology.bas.bg

Bakardzhieva, Silviya Hygiene Medical Industry, 15 “Vladimir Vazov”, Sofia, Bulgaria

Bechev, Dimitar Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; e-mail: bechev@uni-plovdiv.bg

Bekchiev, Rostislav National Museum of Natural History, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria e-mail: bekchiev@nmnhs.com

Boyadzhiev, Peter Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., Plovdiv, Bulgaria; e-mail: boyadz@uni-plovdiv.bg

Chassovnikarova, Tsenka

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, BAS, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia 1000, Bulgaria; Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; e-mail: tsenka@zoology.bas.bg

Chochev, Borislav Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;

Christova, Iva National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: iva_christova@yahoo.com

Denev, Iliya University of Plovdiv, Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Agricultural Academy, Institute of Fishing Resources, Varna, Bulgaria; e-mail: iliden@uni-plovdiv.bg

Dimitrov, Hristo

Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; e-mail: hr_dim@abv.bg

Dimitrova, Zlatka Department of Biology and aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Thracian University, Student Campus, 6000, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; e-mail: zmd@uni-sz.bg

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Donev, Atanas Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; e-mail: atdonev@abv.bg

Duran, Mustafa University of Pamukkale, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, 20070 Denizli, Turkey; e-mail: mduran@pau.edu.tr; mduranpau@hotmail.com

Ganeva, Diana Department of Biology and aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University, Student Campus 6 000, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; e-mail: d_ganeva2000@yahoo.com

Georgiev, Dilian Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, University of Plovdiv, Tsar Assen Str. 24, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; email: diliangeorgiev@abv.bg

Georgiev, Georgi Forest Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 132 Kl. Ochridski Blvd., Sofia 1756, Bulgaria; e-mail: ggeorgiev.fri@gmail.com

Georgieva, Margarita

Forest Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 132, St. Kliment Ohridski Blvd., Sofia 1756, Bulgaria; e-mail: margaritageorgiev@gmail.com

Gerasimov, Svetoslav University of Forestry, Department of Wildlife Management, 10 Kliment Ohridsky Blvd., Sofia 1756, Bulgaria; e-mail: svger@abv.bg

Golemanski,Vasil Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, BAS, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: golemansky@zoology.bas.bg

Gradev, Gradimir Green Balkans NGO, www.greenbalkans.org, 1 Skopie str., Plovdiv 4004, Bulgaria; e-mail: e-mail: ggradev@greenbalkans.org

Iliev, Iliyan

Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St. Kl. Ohridski”, 8 Dragan Tsankov blvd., Sofia 1164, Bulgaria; e-mail: iliyan.l@abv.bg

Ivanov, Ivan Hygiene Medical Industry, 15 “Vladimir Vazov ”, Sofia, Bulgaria;

Ivanova, Evgeniya Department of Developmental Biology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria; geneiv@uni-plovdiv.bg

Kantardzhiev, Todor National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria

Karadurmus, Erdal University of Hitit, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, 19030 Corum, Turkey; e-mail: erdalkaradurmus@hitit.edu.tr

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Kechev, Mihail University of Agribusiness and Rural Development, 78 Dunav Blvd., Plovdiv 4003, Bulgaria; e-mail: mkechev@gmail.com

Kicheva, Maya Progene Ltd., 2, 6th September Str., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: progene@mbox.contact.bg

Kmetova, Elena Green Balkans NGO, www.greenbalkans.org, 1 Skopie str., Plovdiv 4004, Bulgaria; e-mail: ekmetova@greenbalkans.org

Kojić, Danijela Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg D.Obradovića, Novi Sad, Serbia; e-mail: danijela.kojic@dbe.uns.ac.rs

Koshev, Yordan Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research – Bulgarian Academy of Science, 2 Gagarin Str., 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: bgsousluk@gmail.com

Kostova, Rumyana Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University, 8 “Dragan Tzankov” blvd., Sofia, 1164, Bulgaria; e-mail: rumy.kostova@gmail.com

Koteva, Eliza D.D.D.-1, Manager, Sofia, 32Asen Razcvetnikov Str., e-mail: office@ddd-1.com

Kunchev, Angel Ministry of Health, 39 "Alexander Stamboliiski" blvd., Sofia ,Bulgaria e-mail: akunchev@mh.goverment.bg

Lapeva-Gjonova, Albena Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University, 8 Dragan Tsankov blvd., Sofia 1164, Bulgaria; e-mail: gjonova@abv.bg

Lujić, Jelena

Museum of Vojvodina, Dunavska 35-37, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; e-mail: lujicjelena@gmail.com, jelena.lujic@dbe.uns.ac.rs

Markov, Georgi Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tsar Osvoboditel Bld. 1, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria; e-mail: georgimar@gmail.com

Metcheva, Roumiana Institute of Biodiversity an Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Str., Sofia 1113, Bulgaria; e-mail: rummech@yahoo.com

Michailova, Paraskeva Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Science, Tsar Osvoboditel 1, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria; e-mail: michailova@zoology.bas.bg

Miličić, Dragana University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; e-mail: draganam@bio.bg.ac.rs

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Mitev, Dimitar Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria;

Mitkovska, Vesela

Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria; e-mail: mitkovska.v@gmail.com

Mitov, Plamen Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sofia, 8 Dragan Tzankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: mitovplamen@gmail.com

Mollov, Ivelin Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, University of Plovdiv, Tsar Assen Str. 24, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; e-mail: e-mail: mollov_i@yahoo.com

Nedialkov, Nedko National Museum of Natural History – Bulgarian Academy of Science, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: nnedko@gmail.com, bgsouslik@gmail.com

Nedialkova, Michaela Institute of Biodiversity an Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Str., Sofia 1113, Bulgaria; e-mail: mnedialkova@gmail.com

Nikolić, Tatjana University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Trg D. Obradovića 2, Novi Sad, Serbia; e-mail: tatjana.nikolic@dbe.uns.ac.rs

Novevska, Vera Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, 6000 Ohrid, R. Macedonia; e-mail: vnovevska2001@yahoo.com

Nurullahoğlu, Z. Ulya Marmara University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey; e-mail: nulya28@hotmail.com

Patceva, Suzana Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, 6000 Ohrid, R. Macedonia; e-mail: spatceva@hio.edu.mk

Pavković-Lučić, Sofija University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; e-mail: sofija@bio.bg.ac.rs

Pavlova, Milena Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tsar Osvoboditel Bld. 1, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: mnp.iber@gmail.com

Pehlivanov, Luchezar Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2, Major Yurii Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: lzp@abv.bg; luchezar_pehlivanov@yahoo.com

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Petrova, Slaveya Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, University of Plovdiv, Tsar Assen Str. 24, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; e-mail: sl.petrova@abv.bg

Plachiyski, Dimitar National Museum of Natural History, Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: d.plachiyski@gmail.com

Pilarska, Daniela Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Pilarski, Plamen Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street , 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Popescu, Irinel Faculty of Biology, University “Alexandru Ioan Cuza”, Bd. Carol I nr. 11, Iasi 700506, Romania; e-mail: irinellus@yahoo.com

Popgeorgiev, Georgi Regional Natural History Museum of Plovdiv, 34 Hristo G. Danov Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; e-mail: georgi.popgeorgiev@gmail.com

Popov, Dimitar Green Balkans NGO, www.greenbalkans.org, 1 Skopie str., Plovdiv 4004, Bulgaria; e-mail: dpopov@greenbalkans.org

Popović, Željko University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Trg D. Obradovića 2, Novi Sad, Serbia Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Branišivska 31, Česke Budejovice, Czech Republic; e-mail: zeljko.popovic@dbe.uns.ac.rs

Purać, Jelena University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Trg D. Obradovića 2, Novi Sad, Serbia, e-mail: jelena.purac@dbe.uns.ac.rs

Rainova, Iskra Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine at NCIPD, 26 Yanko Sakazov Blvd, Sofia 1504, Bulgaria; e-mail: rainova@ncipd.org

Rovatsos, Michalis Section of Animal Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, GR-26500 Patras, Greece; e-mail: mrovatsos@upatras.gr

Sari, Adile

Pamukkale University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, 20070 Denizli, Turkey; e-mail: aozdemir@pau.edu.tr

Shishiniova, Maria

Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: mariadelova@abv.bg

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Stancheva, Antoaneta Hygiene Medical Industry, 15 “Vladimir Vazov”, Sofia, Bulgaria

Stankova, Gergana Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria e-mail: g_stankova@abv.bg

Staykova, Teodora

Department of Developmental Biology, Section of Genetics, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria; e-mail: tstaykova@yahoo.com

Stojanova, Anelia Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; e-mail: stanelia@uni-plovdiv.bg

Stojanovski, Stojmir Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia; e-mail: stojstoi@gmail.com

Takov, Danail Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street , 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Talevska, Marina PSI Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia; e-mail: mtalevska2000@yahoo.com

Talevski, Trajce

University “St.Kliment Ohridski”, PSI Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia; e-mail: tratal2001@yahoo.com

Tasevska, Orhideja Department of zooplankton, Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, 6000 Ohrid, R. Macedonia; e-mail: orhidejat@hio.edu.mk

Tasheva-Terzieva, Elena Faculty of Biology, Sofia university, Department of Zoology and Anthropology, 8 “Dragan Tzankov” blvd., Sofia 1164, Bulgaria; e-mail: elena.tasheva@gmail.com

Tenev, Tencho Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, 15A „Pencho Slaveikov“ str., Sofia, Bulgaria e-mail: gergina.karadzhova@nvms.government.bg

Todorov, Ivaylo

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, BAS, Tsar Osvoboditel 1 Bld., Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: i.toddorov@abv.bg

Todorov, Ognian Regional Museum of Natural History – Plovdiv, 34 Hr. G. Danov Str., Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria; e-mail: ogi_lion@abv.bg

Tomov, Vasil Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;

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Tsekova, Ralitsa Sofia University, Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology and EP, 8 Dragan Tzankov blvd. 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria; e-mail: ralvir@abv.bg

Uzunova, Eliza

Department of General and Applied Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University, 8 Blvd Dragan Tsankov, Sofia 1164, Bulgaria; e-mail: e_uzunova@abv.bg

Veljanoska-Sarafiloska, Elizabeta Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski Str. 50, 6000 Ohrid, R. Macedonia; e-mail: betisaraf@yahoo.com

Velkova-Jordanoska, Lidija SI Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski 50, Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia; e-mail: lidvejo@yahoo.com

Vodenicharova, Liliya Department of Zoology, University of Plovdiv, 24 Tsar Assen Str., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; e-mail: lily.djunova@abv.bg

Vukašinović, Elvira

Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; e-mail: elvira.pamer@dbe.uns.ac.rs

Zachos, Frank Natural History Museum in Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010 Wien, Austria; e-mail: frank.zachos@nhm-wien.ac.at

Zidarova, Sirma Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel blvd., Sofia 1000, Bulgaria; e-mail: s.zidarova@gmail.com

Zorenko, Tanya University of Latvia, Kronvald Boulevard 4, Riga LV-1586, Latvia; e-mail: zorenkot@lanet.lv

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SPONSORS

DDD–1 Ltd. provides professional and highly effective disinfection, disinsection and deratisation services in the sphere of tourism, food industry and the textile industry, for administrative and residential buildings, schools, nursery schools and hospitals, grain storage silos and warehouses, public buildings and millions of privet homes.

DDD–1 Ltd. is the biggest pest control company in the Republic of Bulgaria with millions satisfied customers in the country. The company’s policy is to try and hold the best ratio between price and quality for you to be satisfied. We follow all the EU requirements and use only environmentally friendly products.

The company of DDD-1 Ltd. was founded in 1997 and is a licensed provider by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bulgaria of domestic and warehouse pest control, as well as control of transmissive disease carriers with epidemiologic impact.

Eliza Koteva, manager phone: +359 2 8 662 442; mobile: +359 888 517 671 fax: +359 2 963 18 16; e-mail: office@ddd-1.com 32 Asen Raztsvetnikov str., Sofia, Bulgaria

„Микрооптика“ ООД Оторизиран дилър и сервиз на Carl Zeiss Microscopy Group

GmbH за България. Продажби и сервиз на микроскопи:

Учебно-лабораторни, рутинни и изследователски микроскопи Лазерно-сканиращи (конфокални) микроскопи Електронни микроскопи Системи за инвитро (IFV,ICSI), лазерна микродисекция Други

Адрес: гр.София 1359, жк. Люлин 4, бл. 417, вх. Б (партер) Телефон: +359 (2) 824 47 01, Факс: +359 (2) 827 80 31 e-mail: office@microoptica.com; www.microoptica.com

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IVD Bulgaria is established as one of the leading distributors of laboratory instruments, consumables and reagents in Bulgaria. The wide variety of distributed products for clinical diagnostic, immunology, cytology and molecular biology are with high quality and high productivity, with many citations in renowned international scientific magazines and forums. IVD Bulgaria is a reliable partner and participates in many scientific projects in the area of biology and medicine, by assisting their realization as a consultant and distributor of laboratory instruments and consumables. IVD Bulgaria is the official distributor of many world famous companies, such as eBioscience USA, The Binding site UK, BioSystems Spain, PAA Austria, Cooper Surgical USA, Fujirebio Diagnostics Sweden, CiK Solutions Germany and many others. Address: IVD Bulgaria, Sofia 1765, Darvenitsa, Bl. 48, B Phone: +359 02 975 80 83; +359 02 49 11 225 GSM: +359 888 107 170; Fax: +359 02 975 80 23 e-mail: ivd@ivd.bg; Web-page: www.ivd.bg

Съвременно лабораторно оборудване Молекулярно-биологични анализи Валидиране и въвеждане на методики Биостатистика Обучение – PCR, qPCR, секвениране, генотипиране Научно – приложни проекти Разработване и управление на проекти

Иновативни решения

office_bio@mbox.contact.bg progene@mbox.contact.bg

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GREEN BALKANS NGO was established in 1988 with the mission to protect the nature of Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula. The organization has more than 4000 members. The central office is in the city of Plovdiv and regional structures exist in Stara Zagora, Sofia, Pomorie, etc. Areas of activity: support for the protection and restoration of the populations of the Imperial Eagle, Red-breasted goose, Black and Griffon Vultures, White Stork, Pygmy Cormorant, Herons, Bats and other rare and protected species; restoration and protection of wetlands; enlargement and support for the national network of protected territories and the European ecological network NATURA 2000; „еx situ” programme for medical treatment and rehabilitation of wild animals in the only Wildlife Rescue Center in Bulgaria, programme for reintroduction of Lesser Kestrel, Bearded and Griffon Vulture, and Saker Falcon in Bulgaria; protection and sustainable management of the forests; research and protection of the dolphins in the Bulgarian aquatory of the Black Sea;. support for the reforms in the Bulgarian nature conservation legislation; support for nature friendly agricultural practices; mobilizing the potential of the youth and development volunteer practices.

Contacts: Central office – Plovdiv Plovdiv 4004, 1, Skopie Str., office 9 and 10, tel.: +359 32 626 977, fax: +359 32 635 921, office@greenbalkans.org, www.greenbalkans.org Regional office – Stara Zagora Stara Zagora 6000, 9, Stara Planina Str. tel./fax: + 359 42 622 401, e-mail: officesz@greenbalkans.org Wildlife Breeding and Rehabilitation Center – Stara Zagora The center is situated within the yard of the Veterinary High School in Stara Zagora, tel./fax: +359 42 607 741, e-mail: wrbc@greenbalkans.org, www.greenbalkans-wrbc.org

Историята на Медовина ЕООД започва през 1997 г. в един от малко останалите екологично чисти райони на България, а именно в подножието на китната Средна гора – с. Стрелци. Благодарение на разумно управление, сплотен колектив и най-вече постоянно качество на продуктите, фирмата се превръща в регионален лидер в производството на сладки на база медено тесто и е сред първите в страната. В момента персоналът на фирмата наброява над 100 работници и служители. Уважаеми настоящи и бъдещи партньори, всеки от Вас знае

какво е да работите с пазарно оценени произведения и фирма с име – Вие сте на ХОД!!!

Контакти : гр. Раковски, обл. Пловдив GSM: 0897899335; e-mail: medovina_ltd@abv.bg

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Solutions for the Laboratory ул. Богомил No48 Б, ап. 10 www.labtech-bg.com 4000 Пловдив labtech@dir.bg, тел./факс: 032 268627

Фирма ЛАБТЕХ е основана през 2002 г., със седалище в гр. Пловдив. Основен предмет на дейност на фирмата е доставка, инсталация и сервиз на лабораторна и аналитична апаратура и апаратура за непрекъснато (on-line) измeрване. Служителите на фирмата разполагат с богат опит и са преминали редица курсове на обучение в западни фирми. Фирма Лабтех осигурява гаранционно и извънгаранционно обслужване на предлаганата апаратура. Някои от основните клиенти на фирмата са Изпълнителна Агенция по Околна среда, ВиК Добрич, Пловдив, Велико Търново, Плевен, Габрово, Севлиево, Шумен, Троян, Силистра, АЕЦ Козлодуй, Изпълнителна Агенция по лекарствата, Медицински университет – Пловдив, Варна, Сoфия, Българска Академия на Науките, Биовет АД, Софарма АД, ФЗ Милве АД, Актавис Троян и Разград, ТЕЦ Русе, София, Шумен, Пловдив, ПУ Паисий Хилендарски, СУ „Климент Охридски“, Аграрен Университет, Университет по Хранителни Технология, МГУ, Лаборатории за екологичен мониторинг, Контролно Изпитвателни Лаборатории, предприятия в Хранително Вкусовата промишленост и др. ЛАБТЕХ е изключителен представител на WTW (Германия) – апаратура за анализ на промишлени, питейни и отпадни води, Analytik Jena – спектрофотометри, AAС, микровълнови системи, Sheen Instruments – вискозиметри и уреди за контрол на физични характеристики, Global Water (САЩ) – метеорологични станции, Hydro Bios – системи за пробовземане и нониторинг, Bellingham & Stanley (Англия) – поляриметри и рефрактометри, CAMSPEC (Англия) спектрофотометри, TAMSON LABOVISCO (Холандия) – вискозитетни бани, POL-EKO-APARATURA (Полша) – термостати, инкубатори, сушилни, лабораторни хладилници и фризери, SMEG Instruments – миялни машини, и филтри, както и вносител на MPW (Полша) – центрофуги, Skadi Europe – фризери, LabConco (САЩ) – системи за ултрачиста вода, специализирани камини, лиофилизатори, СНМ (Испания) – системи за филтруване Hirschmann Laborgeraete (Германия) – лабораторна стъклария от виок клас, RAYPA – автоклави, водни бани, Bibby Sterilin, Si Aanlyitcs и др. Фирма ЛАБТЕХ осигурява пълна документация на български език на доставените апарати. Специалистите извършват инсталация, монтаж и обучение на персонала, сервизно обслужване и технически консултации. Рекламациите по доставената апаратура, а така също и възникнали проблеми се отстраняват в най-кратък срок. Фирмата гарантира доставка на консумативи и резервни части за предлаганата апаратура.

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NOTES

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