The Research of Wild Bees and Honeybee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758) in the Selected Localities of Protected Area Štiavnica Hills, Slovakia in 2007 and Research of their Ethology Done between 2002 And 2007 Zdeněk ŠAFAŘÍK Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Nám. T.G. Masaryka 5555, 76001 Zlín, Czech Republic; [email protected] Bulletin UASVM Animal Science and Biotechnologies 71(1) / 2014, 27-35 Print ISSN 1843-5262; Electronic ISSN 1843-536X Abstract Research of wild bees and honeybee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was realized in the selected lo- ca li ties of Banská Štiavnica, Banská Belá, Banský Studenec and Beluj surroundings in the Protected Area (CHKO) the Štiavnica Hills in 2007. They were 7 different localities under study with the aim to specify the qualitative and quantitative composition of the representatives of Hymenoptera order. We wanted to broaden knowledge about entomofauna of the studied localities of the protected Area (CHKO). Locality N1 is non-cut meadow south-east of Banská Štiavnica, locality N2 –desolate orchard in Kysihýbel, locality N3 –forest and deforested places with area 80x80 metres, locality N4 –surrounding of the Jasenica water reservoir at the south-west border of the village Banská Belá, locality N5 –re-cultivated dump of mudApidae to the west of Banská Belá and locality N6 – cut meadow in the village Beluj and in its surroundings. Locality N7 –rocky spur in Kysihýbel.Keywords During our study we specified 18 species of Hymenoptera ( ). Hymenoptera, Apidae Bombidae , bee, , Štiavnica Hills, Slovakia, localities INTRODUCTION Northern part of The Protected Area (CHKO) the More research workers investigated Hymenop- Štiavnica Hills, which is the object of this research tera: Apidae on the territory of The Protected Area work is less examined in comparison with the (CHKO) the Štiavnica Hills, for example Beláková warmer localities of the protected area situated (1986), Smetana (1986a, b) and Beláková, Smetana farther to the south. That is the reason why our (1996). researchMATERIALS is directed AND especially METHODS to these localities. The decisive part of these researches was realized in the frame of XXI st Camp of nature Hymenoptera: Apidae protectors, whichHymenoptera: took place Apoidea, in 1985 Bombidae in Počúvadlo.. The qualitative and quantitative research It was Smetana who dedicated mostly especially Apis to of was realized in chosen melliferaresearch of localities in the surroundings of Banská Štiavnica, In this protected area Šafařík researched Banská Belá, Banský Studenec and Beluj in the from the view of its behavior in the period Protected Area (CHKO) the Štiavnica Hills in 2006 of swarming in the locality of the village Beluj, 17 in 6 different localities with the aim to find the kilometers Southwest of Banská Štiavnica. The species presenting Hymenoptera. We wanted to 28 ŠAFAŘÍK officinale Cirsium vulgare Rubus idaeus Cirsium eriophorum Lotus enlarge knowledge Hymenopteraabout enthomofauna of the corniculatus–11 sort, Cirsium arvense–9 sort, searched localities in CHKO. Taraxacum–9 sort, officinale Ajuga–8 sort,reptans The research of was carried out sort, Galeobdolon–7 sort, montandonum –6Mentha sort, destructive methods of individual bee catching longifolia Hypericum–6 sort, perforatum –5 into entomological net in the chosen localities nera, Pulmonaria officinalis –5 sort,Trifolium of the cadastral territories of Banská Štiavnica, alpestre –5 sort, Solidago virgaurea –4 ge- Banská Belá, Banský Studenec and Beluj in the Trifolium pratense –4 Jaceagenera, pratensis period March-September 2006. Sarothamnus–4 genera, scoparius –4Veronica genera, We have chosen the following biotopes: chamaedrys –3 genera,Vicia cracca –3 meadow (1, 6), deserted orchard (2) edge of the Lychnisgenera, flos–cuculi –3Trifolium genera, repens forest (3), artificial water reservoir (4) and re- Melampyrum–3 genera, nemorosum –3 genera, cultivated dump of mud. We realized subject re- Robinia pseudoacacia–2 genera, Symphytum–2 search of Hymenoptera in accordance with the tuberosumgenera, –2 genera, decision of the Regional department of envi- –2 genera, ronment in Banská Bystrica No. 2006/00726-Fi, § –2 genera. 334 individuals 56, paragraph 1 in legal code of Slovakian law No. According to theRubus results idaeus, of quantitativeTrifolium re- 543/2002 based on the „Protection of nature and repenssearch, done 123 in on 2007 Symphytum we found that:officinale landscape“. Cirsiumwere recorded vulgare on Taraxacum201 on officinale, We have used the key by Pavelka and Smetana 68 on Cirsium eriophorum, 63 on , 110Mentha on (2003) to determine bumblebees and other longifolia ,Echium 78 on vulgare Hypericum species we determined in accordance to Kratochvíl perforatum, 36 on Lamium maculatum, 34 on (1957). Terminology of found out species is done Cirsium arvense, 57 on, 34 on Lotus corniculatus, 47 on , 23 on after Přidal (2004). Pulmonaria officinalis, 16 on Solidago virgaurea, Examined locality № 1 is uncut meadow in 15 on Veronica chamaedrys, 13 on Trifolium surrounding of Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia. pratense, 12 on Jacea pratensis Galeobdolon Locality № 2 is deserted orchard in the forest montandonum, 8 on Ajuga reptans, 5 on Trifolium area Kysihýbel, Banská Štiavnica with apple trees, alpestre, 5 on Vicia cracca, 4, 9on on Melampyrum plum trees, cherry trees and others. nemorosum, 3 on Sarothamnus scoparius, 3 on Locality № 3 is forest area and deforested Robinia pseudoacacia, 2 on Lychnis flos–cuculi, 2 places in Kysihýbel, Banská Štiavnica. on Symphytum tuberosum. Locality № 4 in surrounding of Banská Belá presents non-forest communites spread Asperula on the slope near water reservoir with the domi- cynanchica,Just by Betonicaone wild officinalis,bee species Caltha were palustris, visiting nance of mid-high and high-grass and herbs Coronillathe following cook, plants Crataegus as stated monogyny, below: Eryngium convenient for feeding, for forage. campestre, Knautia arvensis, Lathyrus pratensis, Locality № 5 near Banská Belá is characterized Lathyrus sylvestris, Melilotus officinalis, Ononis spin- stands.by high-stalked grass and meadow apophyts that wasp, Polygala vulgaris, Sinapis arvensis, Solanum prefer luminous and tropical conditions on the dulcamara, Steris viscaria, Tanacetum vulgare, Thymus pulegioides, Verbascum phlomoides and Examined locality № 6 is situated in Beluj 430 Viola canina. m above sea level. It is the regularly cut meadow with high-grass-herbal community. Loca li ty № 7 is rocky spur in Kysihýbel, During the research we were focused on Banská Štiavnica with southern orientation the ethology of the wild surviving bees, as well. the basaltRESULTS flow. AND DISCUSSION Activity of the wild bees according to our results was influenced by several factors. One of them was a cold wind, when we have recorded only At the researched localitiesEchium in vulgare2007 we the minimal activity of wild bees in the course of sort,sta te Lamiuma survey maculatumof plants (45 sorts) Symphytumvisited by our research on the May 2, 2007. Another factor the individual bee species: –1 affecting the bees’ activity was light rain. For Bulletin UASVM Animal Science and Biotechnologies–11 sort, 71(1) / 2014 instance we did not observe any wild bees species Apis mellifera 29 The Research of Wild Bees and Honeybee ( Linnaeus, 1758) in the Selected Localities in the course of our research on May 6, 2007 On July 7, 2007beasts. we found four bumblebee therefore we see the relevance of rainy weather. nests, which were dugBombus up terrestris,with the oneabove- nest Influence of the windy weather on the ofmentioned Bombus hortorumwild and BombusApparently, pratorum the two acti vity of the wild bees can be confirmed discovered.underground In nests the Bombus of hortorum by our findings from the observations on May , were 9, 2007, when we had strong windy weather Bombus pratorum ’s nest as the recorded no activity on the meadow under the material covering the bottom was used moss and Nova Strelnica (Locality N1) –at the open air space in the case of the were used the of the objective locality. needles. From these byBombus wild beaststerrestris devastated However at the edge site of a meadow habitat nests we observed the workingBombus up bumblebees hortorum near the waterside growth of a stream, where threeand in and the in case Bombus of the pratorum ten individuals. the two In the wind does not reach such intensity as on the individuals were recorded, in open-air area, we recorded eight bumblebee species. Based on these findings we have come the second nest we found three dead bumblebees. to the following conclusions: the strong wind Another activities of the bumblebees were not acts as an negative factor on the activity of a wild recorded in Apisthe time mellifera of our research. bees and that in the conditions of one habitat we Our ethological research of the European concluded that meteorological conditions affect honeybee ( ) in the conditions of their activity. Accordingly the urban environment stationary bee house in Beluj, Slovakia (Banska is also suitable for the occurrence of the wild bees, Stiavnica district), were supplemented or widen because the external temperature in the urban the observations of the European honeybee in area is higher than the temperature in a non- their natural environment –in the nature, it means urban area. For example at housing development at the localities chosen, where we paid attention Drienova in Banska Stiavnica, SlovakiaEchium we vulgare have almostalso to atthat the allspecies.