Scientific publications

This article presents new data on the bumblebee fauna gathered during field research in the Onezhsky District of the Arkhangelsk Region. In the lower course of the Onega River, 17 species of bumblebees were recorded. These species are typical for the taiga zone of North European Russia. The bulk of the studied local bumblebee fauna is species with wide distributions, predominantly Trans-Palaearctic with the temperate zonal distribution. In the lower course of the Onega River, we also encountered meadow-associated species, i. e. Bombus soroeensis, B. veteranus, and B. sichelii. These species are not typical inhabitants of native taiga habitats in North European Russia. They chiefly occur in anthropogenic meadow habitats located along large rivers of the Arkhangelsk Region. They are expectedly present also in the lower course of the Onega River, where these types of anthropogenic meadows and ruderal communities are widespread. A somewhat distinctive regional distribution pattern among species of the local bumblebee fauna of is demonstrated by B. schrencki, for which the lower course of the Onega River is a locality at the northwestern border of its distribution in North European Russia. The reason for this is the post-glacial formation history of the B. schrencki distribution range. Bumblebee communities of Kiy Island contained only 6 species typical for the White Sea islands. Understandably, a majority of bumblebee species found on the mainland are absent here.