The present paper concerns long-term 3D monitoring of active fault structures in the Krupnik-Kresna seismic zone, SW Bulgaria with the use of extensometers TM71. The purpose is to establish the real rates of fault movements in the most seismically active area in Bulgaria. Three points were installed (B6 on Krupnik Fault, and K5 and K12 on Struma Fault), which indicate a recent activity. The fault movements are characteristic with “calm” periods, linear slips, accelerations and sudden displacements. Different regimes of dynamics have been established corresponding to different periods. The greatest dynamics is found at monitoring point B6 along Krupnik Fault: for the whole period of observation the trends are calculated as left lateral slip with 1.88 mm/a and a thrusting with 1.59 mm/a with high correlation coefficients. Co-seismic displacements from local and distant earthquakes were recorded. The significant impact was from M=7.4, 17 August, 1999, Izmit Earthquake, Turkey, showing a shortening of 8.34 mm, a right-lateral slip of 5.09 mm and a thrusting of 0.96 mm. After that, for a short period of time the regime of movement on fault was changed. Movements on the Struma system reveal lower rates. Both points show left-lateral movements, 0.28 mm/a at K5 and 0.09 mm/a at K12, and thrusting with 0.11 mm/a at K5 and 0.72 mm/a at K12., Nikolai Dobrev., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Five species of acanthocephalans of the family Centrorhynchidae are recorded from birds in Bulgaria: Centrorhynchus amphihius Das, 1950 from Buteo buteo (L.) (new host record), C. glohocaudatus (Zeder. 1800) Luhe, 1911 from Falco tin-nunculus L. and F. vespertinus L, (new host record), Sphaerimstris picae (Rudolphi, 1819) Golvan, 1960 from Pica pica (L.) and Lanius excuhitor L. (new host record), S. lancea (Westrumb, 1821) Golvan, 1960 from Vanellus vanellus (L.), and S. turili (Yamaguti, 1939) Golvan, 1960 from Turdus merula L„ Cinclus cinclus (L.) (new host record) and Stumus vulgaris L. (new host record). New geographical record for Europe is this of C. amphihius, and for Bulgaria - this of S. lurdi. The species are described and figured on the basis of Bulgarian specimens. Sphaerimstris picae is recognized as a valid species and S. teres is considered its synonym. A male of S. picae with a copulatory cap is reported.
The cold hardiness of individuals from overwintering populations of a freeze susceptible bug Pyrrhocoris apterus from central and southern Europe differed significantly. Supercooling point (SCP) correlated well with both lethal temperature (LT50) and lethal time (Lt50), and is agood index of cold hardiness of adults during and after diapause. In January, diapause terminated, but cold hardiness was similar to that recorded in November; cold hardiness decreased slightly in March and markedly in May. Short exposure (less than a week) to higher temperatures before termination of diapause did not reduce the cold hardiness. Cold hardiness did not closely follow air temperatures.The Bulgarian bugs retained lower cold hardiness regardless of acclimation to harsh field conditions in the Czech Republic. The interpopulation difference is therefore a heritable character representing an adjustment to local climates.
Dictyterina cholodkowskii (Skrjabin, 1914) is recorded from iMnius collurio L. in Bulgaria (new geographical record). The species is redescribed and figured. A full list of synonyms is presented; it includes, among the other synonyms, Deltokeras delachauxi Hsii, 1935 (new synonym), Biulerina passerina of Oshmarin (1963) and Paruterina parallelipipeda of Paspalev and Paspaleva (1972). A survey of published records characterizes D. cholodkowskii as limited to the Palaearctic in six species of the genus Lanius (Aves, Passeriformes, Laniidae).
Diet composition of the golden jackal (Canis aureus, L.) in Bulgaria, where the largest jackal population in Europe occurs, has been studied by scat analysis in a typical and newly occupied agricultural environment. The study was carried out during late summer and early autumn, a period when small mammal density is high. The food of the jackal typically consisted of small-sized and wild-living prey species. Rodents have been found to represent the primary food of the jackal (biomass estimation: 59.3 %, mainly Microtus spp.), and the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus, 20.1 %) and plants (19.7 %, mainly fruits) are secondary foods. Other prey, such as birds (mainly passerines), reptiles and invertebrates had been consumed in a low biomass ratio. No remains of wild ungulate and domestic animals have been detected in the studied scats.
The lamprey collections of the National Museum of Natural History – Sofia and the Regional History Museum – Ruse were examined in order to determine the species composition of the family Petromyzontidae in Bulgaria. In contrast to the four species of lampreys reported in the scientific literature as being present in Bulgaria, i.e. Lampetra fluviatilis, L. planeri, Eudontomyzon danfordi, and E. mariae, only the latter species was determined in the Bulgarian material. The distribution of this species in Bulgaria is restricted to the Danube River basin. The occurrence of E. hellenicus in the Bulgarian segment of the Struma River basin is anticipated in all probability. The species composition of lampreys inhabiting the streams emptying directly into the Black Sea remains to be investigated.