Bumblebees of the Subarctic Region in European Russia—Their Significance and Conservation

Abstract

Regarding the bumblebee fauna, a number of regions of Russia are still insufficiently studied. These include Arkhangelsk Region, a large territory that is partly located in the subarctic region of Northern European Russia. In this research, we present information on the distribution of bumblebees of the studied region and discuss the bumblebee communities and also their conservation in Northern European Russia. The regional fauna of bumblebees is represented by species that are widely distributed in the Palaearctic. The species richness of bumblebees is highest in the valleys of large rivers and in secondary meadows due to the appearance of species that are not common of the zonal taiga ecosystems. These include Bombus ruderarius, B. veteranus, B. soroeensis, B. sichelii and other species belonging to a group of meadow species. One species, B. consobrinus, is considered as a rare species in the regional fauna. It is represented quite locally in most districts of Arkhangelsk Region. In the north of Arkhangelsk Region, B. consobrinus is most abundant in the native taiga habitats, but is rare in the other areas of the studied region. B. consobrinus in Arkhangelsk Region prefers the meadows near coniferous forests, where its main food plant, Aconitum septentrionale, is concentrated.

Keywords

• bumblebees
• north of European Russia
• subarctic
• diversity
• conservation