FIRST RECORD OF HOLCOGASTER FIBULATA IN SLOVENIA 
(HETEROPTERA: PENTATOMIDAE) 
 
Andrej GOGALA1, Janez KAMIN2 
 
1 Prirodoslovni muzej Slovenije, Prešernova 20, p.p. 290, 1001 Ljubljana, 
Slovenia; andrej.gogala@guest.arnes.si 
2 Gradnikove brigade 47, 5000 Nova Gorica 
 
Abstract – A specimen of Holcogaster fibulata (Germar, 1831) was found in Nova 
Gorica in August 2022. This is the first find of the species in Slovenia. The finding 
may show the spread of the species which is gaining ground also at the Atlantic coast 
of Europe. 
 
KEY WORDS: Hemiptera, Heteroptera, fauna, Slovenia 
 
Izvleček – PRVA NAJDBA STENICE HOLCOGASTER FIBULATA V 
SLOVENIJI HETEROPTERA: PENTATOMIDAE) 
 
Primerek vrste Holcogaster fibulata (Germar, 1831) je bil najden v Novi Gorici 
v avgustu 2022. To je prva najdba vrste v Sloveniji. Najdba lahko kaže na širjenje 
vrste, ki pridobiva ozemlje tudi ob atlantski obali Evrope. 
 
KLJUČNE BESEDE: Hemiptera, Heteroptera, favna, Slovenija 
 
 
Holcogaster fibulata (Germar, 1831) is an Atlanto-Mediterranean species, which 
lives on various conifers: Pinus (P. canariensis, P. halepensis, P. pinea, P. sylve-
stris), Cupressus and Juniperus (J. oxycedrus, J. phoenicea, J. thurifera) (Ribes & 
Gapon 2006). These host plants are predominantly Mediterranean species, but 
Martin (2020) found it on planted Pinus mugo. The species is very variable, so seve-
ral species were described, but were synonymized by Ribes & Gapon (2006). The 
size of the species may measure between 4.5 and 8.4 mm (Ribes & Pagola-Carte 
2013). The distribution of the species is holomediterranean, with the densest distri-
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Fig. 2: Mounted specimen (Photo A. 
Gogala)
Fig. 1: Live specimen in Nova Gorica (Photo J. Kamin)
bution in the west: Mediterranean France, Spain and Maghreb, but rarer at the east. 
It is distributed all the way to Iraq. 
Janez Kamin found a specimen of Holcogaster fibulata, a female, on a light gray 
facade of a building in his home city of Nova Gorica, at the end of August 2022: 
Nova Gorica: Ledine, UL99, 45.96315N 45.96315 E, 29. 8. 2022, 1♀, J. Kamin leg., 
PMSL (kept in Prirodoslovni muzej Slovenije, Slovenian Museum of Natural 
History). 
About 50 m from the building, two pine trees are situated. Closer, at about 20 m, 
is a Cedrus deodara tree. It is not reported as a host plant, but who knows? As usual-
ly, he sent a photo and later also the specimen to Andrej Gogala to recognize the spe-
cies. As I did not have any experience with the species, Attilio Carapezza confirmed 
its identity. The distribution of the species in the Balkans is known only from the 
south (Croatia: Dubrovnik, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece (Ribes & Pagola-Carte 2013), 
Macedonia and Montenegro (Aukema et al. 2019)). So it seems more likely that the 
species came to Slovenia from Italy, where it is known also from Trentino-Alto 
Adige as one of the more nearby records. 
The distribution of Holcogaster fibulata in Europe extends northward, especially 
at the Atlantic coast. It was found in Belgium in 2017 and in the Netherlands in 2018 
and is found there regularly (Aukema et al. 2019). It was first found in western 
Germany in 2018 as well (Hamers 2018), with several subsequent records suggesting 
that it is now spreading naturally(Martin 2020, Hoffmann & Herr 2020, Müller 2021, 
2022). The first find of the species in Slovenia may point to the spread of the species 
also more to the east. Nova Gorica is located in the submediterranean region, so we 
do not know yet if Holcogaster can spread also towards Central Europe east of the 
Alps. 
 
Acknowledgement 
 
We are grateful to Attilio Carapezza who identified the species and to Hannes 
Günther and Wolfgang Rabitsch for the review. 
 
References 
 
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Hamers, B., (2018): Nachweis von Holcogaster fibulata (Germar, 1831) in 
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A. Gogala, J. Kamin: First record of Holcogaster fibulata in Slovenia (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)
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Received / Prejeto: 2. 2. 2023
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