21 Kas 2024 Perşembe
Bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary (Shopian) of Jammu and Kashmir, India
Abstract : During the faunal survey of bumblebees at the Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary, 10 species of bumblebees (genus Bombus) belonging to 06 subgenera viz., Megabombus, Melanobombus, Sibricobombus, Bombus, Subterraneobombus and Psithyruswere collected in this Sanctuary. The species include Bombus albopleuralis- Friese, B. longiceps-Morawitz, B. ferganicus-Radoszkowski, B. jacobsoni-Skorikov, B. keriensis- Morawitz, B. melanurus-Lepeleittier, B. miniatus-Morawitz, B. rufofasciatus-Smith, B. simillimus-Smith and B. tunicatus-Smith. The specimens of bumblebees were collected from flowering plants during the months of July-September in the selected sites of the Sanctuary at an altitudinal range of 2315 to 3515 m amsl (above mean sea level). It was observed that this sanctuary provide adequate nesting sites viz., suitable soil texture and foraging habitats viz., pollen and nectar of flowering plants to bumblebees. This sanctuary was first surveyed from the ecological point of view and will form a basic plate form for conservational studies of bumblebees in this particular sanctuary.