PROMOTING THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ENTOMOFAUNA OF THE ONEZHSKOYE POMORYE NATIONAL PARK

Abstract

We report the first express study of the insect fauna carried out in the Onezhskoye Pomorye National Park, located in the northwest of the Arkhangelsk Region. Insects were collected along the eastern coast of Onega Bay of the White Sea, mainly at a distance up to 2–3 km from the coastline. In total, we revealed 616 species from 9 insect orders, most of which are reported for the first time for the territory of the national park. The local fauna mostly consists of widespread boreal species, but there are some peculiarities associated with the geographic location of the study area. There is a group of species, including inhabitants of both forest communities and coastal biotopes which, although known in some regions of Western Europe, have not been previously recorded on the western coast of the White Sea. In addition, the presence of elements of the eastern fauna that had not been previously known in the western Palaearctic was confirmed for the territory of the national park. The records of several species with more southern distributions in regions west of the White Sea are also noteworthy. Some species are generally quite rare, probably throughout the range. Two of them are listed in the regional Red Data Books of Karelia – Keroplatus tipuloides Bosc and Finland – Heterocheila buccata (Fallén). New distribution data were obtained for many species, which made it possible to extend their known ranges. Two species of parasitoid wasps – Endromopoda nigricoxis (Ulbricht), Platylabus pseudopumilio Riedel, and three species of Diptera – Mycetophila moravica Landrock, Lonchoptera nitidifrons Strobl, Lasiomma seminitidum (Zetterstedt) are new to the fauna of Russia. Our results provide a good starting point for further entomological research in this protected area.