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The paper presents new records of the following six very rare or scarcely recorded species of short-tongued bees of the genus Andrena Fabricius, 1775 in Poland: A. (Simandrena) congruens Schmiedeknecht, 1883; A. (Taeniandrena) lathyri Alfken, 1899; A. (Simandrena) lepida Schenck, 1861; A. (Poliandrena) polita Smith, 1847; A. (Suandrena) suerinensis Friese, 1884 and A. (Poliandrena) tarsata Nylander, 1848. This is the second contribution concerning the rare species of the genus Andrena Fabricius, 1775 in Poland. The studies were based on museum collections as well as the author’s own collections. During the research, approximately 21,000 specimens of mining bees of the genus Andrena from Poland were identified representing ninety-five taxa. The species discussed in the paper are known from just a few records in the country. The following information is provided for each species: short diagnosis, remarks on general distribution, bionomics, published records from Poland and confirmed Polish records based on studied collections. The text is accompanied by SEM micrographs showing diagnostic characters and distribution maps.

The paper presents new records of the following six very rare or scarcely recorded species of short-tongued bees of the genus Andrena Fabricius, 1775 in Poland: A. (Notandrena) nitidiuscula Schenck, 1853; A. (Lepidandrena) pandellei Perez, 1895; A. (Lepidandrena) paucisquama Noskiewicz, 1924; A. (Notandrena) pontica Warncke, 1972; A. (Poecilandrena) potentillae Panzer, 1809 and A. (Poecilandrena) viridescens Viereck, 1916. The studies were based on museum collections as well as the author’s own collections. During the research approximately 21,000 specimens, representing 95 taxa, of mining bees of the genus Andrena from Poland were identified. The species discussed in the paper are known from single or just a few stands in the country. The following information is provided for each species: short diagnosis, remarks on general distribution, bionomics, published records from Poland and confirmed Polish records based on studied collections. The text is accompanied by SEM micrographs showing diagnostic characters and distribution maps.

Artykuł informuje o Stelis minima Schenck, 1859, nowym dla fauny Polski gatunku kleptopasożytniczej pszczoły z rodziny miesierkowatych (Megachilidae). Stelis minima. zamieszkuje prawdopodobnie większą część Europy, za wyjątkiem jej części południowej i północnej; najdalej na północ położone stanowiska znane są z południowej Finlandii (około 62°N).W latach 2002-2006 odłowiono 4 okazy tego gatunku, w tym 1 na Wyżynie Krakowsko-Częstochowskiej i 3 na Roztoczu. Wszystkie okazy przebywały na drewnianych budynkach, w sąsiedztwie gniazd potencjalnych gatunków żywicielskich - Chelostoma campanularum (Kirby, 1802) i Heriades truncorum (Linnaeus, 1758). Samica Stelis minima charakteryzuje się następującymi cechami morfologicznymi, które ją odróżniają od innych gatunków środkowoeuropejskich: głowa zaokrąglona, nadustek około 1,5 raza szerszy niż jego długość, nogi czarne, nadstopie tylnych nóg o niemal równoległych bokach (nie rozszerzone w końcowej części), odległości pomiędzy punktami na śródbocznych częściach tułowia mniej więcej równe ich średnicy, tylne brzegi tergitów metasomy czarne, pozbawione bocznych przepasek z włosków, pierwszy i drugi tergit zazwyczaj z małymi, żółtawo-białymi plamami położonymi po bokach (plam czasem brak). Samce Stelis minima różnią się od innych środkowoeuropejskich gatunków następującą kombinacją cech morfologicznych: nadustek krótki (żuwaczki nie są pod nim schowane), nogi czarne, odległości pomiędzy punktami na śródbocznych częściach tułowia oraz czwartym i piątym tergicie mniej więcej równe ich średnicy, tylne brzegi tergitów metasomy czarne, pozbawione bocznych przepasek z włosków, pierwszy i drugi tergit (czasem też trzeci) z małymi, żółtawo-białymi plamami położonymi po bokach, tylny brzeg trzeciego sternitu z trójkątnym obrzeżeniem pośrodku, tylny brzeg czwartego sternitu pośrodku z niewielkim wyrostkiem w kształcie ząbka.

Invasive plants directly and indirectly disrupt the ecosystem functioning, of which indirect effects, for example, through trophic cascades, are particularly difficult to predict. It is frequently assumed that the impact of an invading species on the ecosystem is proportional (linearly related) to its density or abundance in a habitat, but this assumption has rarely been tested. We hypothesised that abundance and richness of plants and potentially pollinators of wet meadows change as a result of invasion of steeplebush Spiraea tomentosa and that these changes are proportional to the density of the shrub. We selected 27 sites amongst wet meadows habitats invaded by S. tomentosa with coverage ranging from 0% to 100% and examined the diversity of plants, as well as the abundance and diversity of flower visitors (bees, butterflies with moths and flies). Our results showed that the richness of plants, as well as the richness and number of individuals of flower visitors, decrease significantly and linearly with an increase of the S. tomentosa cover. This finding supports the hypothesis that the impact of an invasive species can be proportional to their population density, especially if this species is limiting the available resources without supplying others. Our study is the first to show such an unequivocal negative, linear effect of an invasive shrub on the abundance and richness of potential pollinators. It proves that the negative impact of S. tomentosa on the wetland ecosystem appears even with a minor coverage of the invader, which should be taken into account when planning activities aimed at controlling the population of this transformer species. The simultaneously detected linear dependence allows us to assume that the benefits of controlling secondary populations of the shrub can be proportional to the incurred effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the first record of Lithurguscornutus (Fabricius, 1787) in Poland. Until recently, bees of the genus Lithurgus have not been recorded in Poland. Five females and one male of L.cornutus were caught in Lublin Region, SE Poland. The localities are beyond the range of this species, being the northernmost known records from Central Europe. The following information is provided: short diagnosis, ecology, distribution, recent records and threat status of L.cornutus in Central Europe., (Mikołaj Borański, Waldemar Celary, Jacek Jachuła.)

Seasonal and daily activity of Macropis fulvipes (Fabricius, 1804) and M. europaea Warncke, 1973 are given. Their environmental preferences, foraging distances and host plants are presented. Life cycles and nest architecture are described.

Diagnosis and redescription of Dasypoda thoracica Baer, 1853 are given. Its seasonal and daily activity, host plants, and foraging distance are presented. Nest architecture and mature larva, male activity, and mating behaviour are described. Distribution and Polish localities are illustrated.