THE FIRST RECORD OF CARABUS (PROCERUS) SCABROSUS OLIVIER, 1790 (COLEOPTERA: CARABIDAE) IN SERBIA: PRESENT IN THE COUNTRY FOR OVER A DECADE

Abstract

Here we report the first verified record of the huge violet ground beetle Carabus (Procerus) scabrosus Olivier, 1790, one of Europe's largest insects, from Serbia. A single adult male was collected in 2015 along the Nišava River near the village of Gradinje, close to the Bulgarian border. This finding represents an important faunistic contribution to the knowledge of Serbian entomofauna and provides evidence of a notable westward range expansion within the Balkans, where the species had previously been recorded only in Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey. Recent observations on citizen science platforms from areas (Dimitrovgrad and Pirot) west of the confirmed site suggest that the species is already more widely distributed across southeastern Serbia. Potential pathways for the arrival of this new Serbian faunal element are also discussed. Finally, the study highlights the need for targeted field surveys to assess the species' population status in Serbia and to consider its conservation under national legislation.