Biodiversity of bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) in the main habitats of the outskirts of Tbilisi

Author: Giorgi Zasokhashvili
Keywords: Apidofauna, taxonomy, habitat, biodiversity
Annotation:

Bees belong to the Insecta class, Hymenoptera order. The mentioned order includes two sub-orders (Apocrita, Simphyta). Bees belong to the suborder Apocrita and the superfamily Apiodea. According to the modern classification, 9 families of bees are known. Bees are flying insects. Species where representatives of different sexes or classes have short wings, due to which they can hardly or not fly at all, are rare. But wingless forms of bees do not exist in nature. The role of bees in the process of plant pollination is very important. This applies to both agricultural crops and flora representatives of natural ecosystems. The decrease in the number of this group of insects significantly reduces not only the productivity of agricultural crops, but also the process of fertilization and reproduction of young flowering plants in natural ecosystems. The study of apidofauna has become especially relevant after a significant decrease in the number of wild bees has been observed worldwide. Currently, this is considered a global ecological problem, and apidologists from both different countries and international organizations are implementing necessary and effective projects for their conservation as the main pollinators. Despite previous studies, the bees in outskirts of Tbilisi have not been studied, and what is essential, we do not have the latest scientific data. The relief of the named area is characterized by significant morphological diversity. Geomorphological features lead to the abundance of mosaic landscapes and a high level of endemism. The aim of the research was to study the apidofauna of the main habitats of the outskirts of Tbilisi; to determine the taxonomic structure of the fauna and investigate the bioecological issues in this group of insects from the point of view of modern systematic nomenclature. As a result of our field expeditions, in the named area we took 264 specimens in the field in a one year period. The species membership of a part of the obtained fauna is determined, while another part is being identified intensively. According to the latest systematic affiliation the obtained apidofauna belongs to 4 bee families; 19 genera and 50 species. Depending on moisture, bees are divided into three ecological groups - subxerophiles, xerophiles and mesophiles. 15 new species for the fauna of Georgia were identified in the study area. In the future, at the next level of study, we plan to collect samples of bees on a larger scale and at the same time, from different habitats. Accordingly, we will be given the opportunity to determine the taxonomy of this group and the possibility of assessing their impact on biocenoses.

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