Sixth European Hemiptera Congress

Since 1998, when the First European Hemiptera Congress (EHC) took place in the small seaside resort Amaliapolis, Greece, the Hemiptera congresses are regularly held every two-three years: EHC 2 in Fiesa, Slovenia (2001), EHC 3 in St. Petersburg, Russia (2004), EHC 4 in Ivrea, Italy (2007) and EHC 5 in Velence, Hungary (2009). The nomination to host and organize the Sixth European Hemiptera Congress in Bulgaria, erected during the Fifth Congress in Hungary, had been a surprise and an honour for the Bulgarian hemipterists, and, of course, it is a recognition for the work of Prof. Michail Josifov, renowned taxonomist of Palaearctic Heteroptera, and a tribute to his memory. The geography of the European meetings on Hemiptera shows an interesting trend: five of all six congresses are held on the Balkan Peninsula and the neighbouring countries in south-eastern Europe, Hungary and Italy. The explanation of this fact should be the rich fauna of this region, very suitable for congress trips, more than in many other countries. Later, the entomologist Alexi Popov, Director of the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia, kindly accepted to be Chairman of the Congress. He is not a hemipterist, but knowing personally some of the remarkable taxonomists in this field, was happy when agree to lead the Organizing Committee and to help the preparation and realizing the Congress. The institutional co-organizers of the Congress become National Museum of Natural History (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences), Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences) and St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. ZooKeys 319: 1–10 (2013)