New pests of jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on poplars in Southwestern Bulgaria

In 2025, strong attacks by jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in hybrid poplar plantations ( Populus x euramericana cl. I-214) were registered along Mesta River in the land of town of Hadzhidimovo on the territory of State Forest Enterprise Gotse Delchev. Samples (cuttings of approximate length 25-30 cm) from attacked poplar stems were collected and examined in the Forest Research Institute and Forest Protection Station in Sofia. They were placed in photoeclectors in laboratory conditions at room temperature (18-22°C) and were observed for emergence of insect pests and parasitoids on them. As a result, three species of jewel beetles have been reared from stem samples as follow: Trachypteris picta decostigma , Agrilus ater and A. suvorovi . They were first established in poplar plantations in Southwestern Bulgaria. The most abundant in buprestid complex was T. picta decostigma (81.4%), followed by A. suvorovi (13.9%) and A. ater (4.7%). In this study, A. ater and A. suvorovi were found as new xylophages of poplars in Bulgaria. Iphiaulax impostor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was reared as a parasitoid of T. picta decostigma for the first time in Bulgaria.