Communities of Digger Wasps (Hymenoptera: Spheciformes) along a Tree Cover Gradient in the Cultural Landscape of River Valleys in Poland
This study of digger wasps (Hymenoptera: Spheciformes) was carried out in the cultural landscape of the Drwęca, Lower Vistula, and Warta river valleys in northern Poland during 2011–2013. The study was undertaken on sites representing a succession gradient from dry grasslands to high levels of tree...
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/2/88 |
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| author | Piotr Olszewski Tim Sparks Lucyna Twerd Bogdan Wiśniowski |
| author_facet | Piotr Olszewski Tim Sparks Lucyna Twerd Bogdan Wiśniowski |
| author_sort | Piotr Olszewski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study of digger wasps (Hymenoptera: Spheciformes) was carried out in the cultural landscape of the Drwęca, Lower Vistula, and Warta river valleys in northern Poland during 2011–2013. The study was undertaken on sites representing a succession gradient from dry grasslands to high levels of tree cover which we hypothesised would influence the structure of digger wasp communities. During our research additional information on flower use, insect prey, and phenology was also recorded and is reported here, revealing dependencies between woodland cover and both the prey and nesting types of digger wasps. A total of 136 species were recorded, i.e., nearly 56% of all Spheciformes species recorded from Poland. Among the species collected, 30 were on the Red List of Threatened Animals in Poland. Most endangered species were recorded in psammophilous grasslands, which are open habitats, and the least in mesic sites. These results significantly update the known distribution of the digger wasp in northern Poland. Knowledge on the biology of digger wasps in Poland is also supplemented by information on the feeding of larvae of 14 species and information on food plants visited by imago digger wasps. The results of our research confirm the correlations between the increase in forest cover and the number of digger wasp species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:27:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-923446776d2144fcb9366f803ff25743 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:27:47Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-923446776d2144fcb9366f803ff257432024-02-23T15:21:26ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502024-01-011528810.3390/insects15020088Communities of Digger Wasps (Hymenoptera: Spheciformes) along a Tree Cover Gradient in the Cultural Landscape of River Valleys in PolandPiotr Olszewski0Tim Sparks1Lucyna Twerd2Bogdan Wiśniowski3Natural History Museum, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Kilińskiego 101, 90-011 Łódź, PolandDepartment of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Science, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, PolandDepartment of Environmental Biology, Kazimierz Wielki University, Ossolińskich 12, 85-093 Bydgoszcz, PolandInstitute of Agricultural Sciences, Land Management and Environmental Protection, University of Rzeszów, Zelwerowicza 8B, 35-601 Rzeszów, PolandThis study of digger wasps (Hymenoptera: Spheciformes) was carried out in the cultural landscape of the Drwęca, Lower Vistula, and Warta river valleys in northern Poland during 2011–2013. The study was undertaken on sites representing a succession gradient from dry grasslands to high levels of tree cover which we hypothesised would influence the structure of digger wasp communities. During our research additional information on flower use, insect prey, and phenology was also recorded and is reported here, revealing dependencies between woodland cover and both the prey and nesting types of digger wasps. A total of 136 species were recorded, i.e., nearly 56% of all Spheciformes species recorded from Poland. Among the species collected, 30 were on the Red List of Threatened Animals in Poland. Most endangered species were recorded in psammophilous grasslands, which are open habitats, and the least in mesic sites. These results significantly update the known distribution of the digger wasp in northern Poland. Knowledge on the biology of digger wasps in Poland is also supplemented by information on the feeding of larvae of 14 species and information on food plants visited by imago digger wasps. The results of our research confirm the correlations between the increase in forest cover and the number of digger wasp species.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/2/88Spheciform waspsinsect communitiesdistributionfood basephenology |
| spellingShingle | Piotr Olszewski Tim Sparks Lucyna Twerd Bogdan Wiśniowski Communities of Digger Wasps (Hymenoptera: Spheciformes) along a Tree Cover Gradient in the Cultural Landscape of River Valleys in Poland Insects Spheciform wasps insect communities distribution food base phenology |
| title | Communities of Digger Wasps (Hymenoptera: Spheciformes) along a Tree Cover Gradient in the Cultural Landscape of River Valleys in Poland |
| title_full | Communities of Digger Wasps (Hymenoptera: Spheciformes) along a Tree Cover Gradient in the Cultural Landscape of River Valleys in Poland |
| title_fullStr | Communities of Digger Wasps (Hymenoptera: Spheciformes) along a Tree Cover Gradient in the Cultural Landscape of River Valleys in Poland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Communities of Digger Wasps (Hymenoptera: Spheciformes) along a Tree Cover Gradient in the Cultural Landscape of River Valleys in Poland |
| title_short | Communities of Digger Wasps (Hymenoptera: Spheciformes) along a Tree Cover Gradient in the Cultural Landscape of River Valleys in Poland |
| title_sort | communities of digger wasps hymenoptera spheciformes along a tree cover gradient in the cultural landscape of river valleys in poland |
| topic | Spheciform wasps insect communities distribution food base phenology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/2/88 |
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