Hymenoptera aculeata of raised bogs in Belarus

Abstract

The long-term studies (1986–2003) of raised bogs of Belarus revealed 167 species of aculeates belonging to 7 families: Sapygidae (1), Chrysididae (11), Pompilidae (19), Eumenidae (19), Vespidae (9), Sphecidae (76), and Apidae (32). The dominant species (not counting ants) are Vespula rufa (16.6%), Bombus jonellus (11.3%), B. lucorum (7.5%), Anoplius nigerrimus (5.1%), B. pascuorum (3.9%), Passaloecus turionum (3.8%), Argogorytes mystaceus (3.2%), Dipogon bifasciatus (3.1%), Pemphredon lugens (3.0%), and Trypoxylon attenuatum (2.6%). Approximately two-thirds of the species found in raised bogs nest in the upper layer. The spatial distribution of aculeates depends primarily on the distance from the bog margins and the presence of contrasting areas, such as lake banks or glades. The highest activity of various aculeate families (except for Vespidae) was observed in June. The total abundance of aculeates was found to be correlated with solar activity, the strongest correlation being observed in Vespidae. The abundance of different wasp families varied noticeably from year to year, depending on climatic parameters.