Research Article

The biodiversity of bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in forests of Diyarbakır and Bingöl provinces in Eastern Türkiye

Volume: 31 Number: 1 March 11, 2026
TR EN

The biodiversity of bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in forests of Diyarbakır and Bingöl provinces in Eastern Türkiye

Abstract

The provinces of Diyarbakır and Bingöl, located in Eastern Türkiye, consist of forested areas characterized by hot and dry summers and cold, snowy winters. These forests are rich in diverse flowering plants and bee species. The bee specimens were collected using an insect net from various flowering plants in forested regions of Diyarbakır and Bingöl between 2017 and 2024. After being killed with ethyl acetate, the specimens were brought to the laboratory, pinned, labeled, and identified. As a result of the identifications, a total of 15 species belonging to six genera from four families of bees were listed from Eastern Türkiye: one genus with one species from Andrenidae, two genera with three species from Apidae, one genus with six species from five subgenera of Colletidae, and two genera with five species from Halictidae. The collection localities and distributions of all recorded species are provided. Among them, Nomioides bluethgeni Pesenko, 1979 is a new record for the Turkish fauna. Additionally, Camptopoeum variegatum Morawitz, 1876 is newly recorded for both Bingöl and Diyarbakır provinces; Ceratina gravidula Gerstäcker, 1869, Ceratina bifida Friese, 1900, Sphecodes monilicornis (Kirby, 1802), Sphecodes puncticeps Thomson, 1870, Sphecodes ruficrus (Erichson, 1835), and Sphecodes crassus Thomson, 1870 are recorded for the first time in Bingöl province. This study contributes to the understanding of Eastern Türkiye’s bee fauna and highlights the importance of forest habitats for pollinator diversity.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval is not applicable, because this article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects.

Thanks

I express our grateful thanks to Andreas Müller (Switzerland) John Stoskopf Ascher (USA) and Max Kasparek (Germany) for their advice. I also thank Bingöl University for their contribution to this study.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Plant Protection (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

March 11, 2026

Submission Date

September 14, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 1, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 31 Number: 1

APA
Kaplan, E. (2026). The biodiversity of bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in forests of Diyarbakır and Bingöl provinces in Eastern Türkiye. Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi, 31(1), 181-189. https://doi.org/10.37908/mkutbd.1783747