The aim of the study was to determine the extent of heavy metal accumulation (Zn, Cd and Pb) in the bodies of females of the predatory species Polistes nimphus (Christ, 1791) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae). The insects were captured in areas affected by the proximity of ZGH "Bolesław" -an industrial complex located in Bukowno near Olkusz (southern Poland), whose main activity is mining and processing of lead and zinc ores.Three sites that differed in terms of distance from the source of contamination and also in the concentrations of Zn, Cd and Pb in the top soil layer were selected. The heavy metal content of the soil was determined for each site. The most contaminated site was located in the immediate vicinity of ZGH "Bolesław" (4326.50 mg/kg Zn, 56.96 mg/kg Cd, 3977.00 mg/kg Pb); the least contaminated was the site furthest away from the source of contamination (48.75 mg/kg Zn, 0.72 mg/kg Cd, 25.43 mg/kg Pb).On all the sites, during the two-year study (2015)(2016), individuals of the genus Polistes were captured and female wasps of the species P. nimphus were isolated from among them. Then the extent of accumulation of Zn, Cd and Pb in their bodies was determined. Correlations between the concentrations of Cd, Zn and Pb in the soil and those in insect bodies were calculated.On all three sites, in both years of the study, the concentrations of heavy metals in insect bodies changed depending on their concentrations in the soil. The highest levels of the accumulated Zn, Cd and Pb were always observed on the site located in the vicinity of ZGH "Bolesław". The lowest values were observed on the site furthest away from the source of contamination. The concentrations of all three metals in the bodies of insects increased with their increasing concentrations in the soil, but the differences were not statistically significant.
The aim of the research was to study the diversity of hoverflies (Syrphidae: Diptera) living in areas under the influence of heavy metal emissions (Cd, Zn and Pb). Although the area of the Olkusz Ore-bearing Region (OOR), where the research was partially conducted, belongs to the contaminated regions, where a relatively high species richness of Syrphids has been noted. During the research period, a total of 1,180 syrphids, belonging to 165 species were caught, which constitutes 39.76% of all the Polish Syrphidae fauna. These species represented all the trophic groups with the dominance of zoophagous species (48.48%); however, the most numerous (quantitatively abundant) were saprophagous. Among the collected syrphids, common and numerous species, such as: E. arbustorum (LINNAEUS, 1758), E. tenax (LINNAEUS, 1758), Episyrphus balteatus (DE GEER, 1776) and S. pipiens (LINNAEUS, 1758), as well as rare species such as Callicera aenea (FABRICIUS, 1777) (NT), Chalcosyrphus piger (FABRICIUS, 1794) (DD), Epistrophe ochrostoma (ZETTERSTEDT, 1849) (VU), Orthonevra geniculata (MEIGEN, 1830) (DD), Rhingia rostrata (LINNAEUS, 1758) (DD), Sphegina sibirica STACKELBERG, 1953 (LC) and Spilomyia diophthalma (LINNAEUS, 1758) (NT), were noted. Eleven of the collected species have been included in the Polish Red List of Endangered Species. Melangyna ericarum (COLLIN, 1946) is recorded as a new one among the Polish fauna. Numerous observations did not indicate that the area covered by the study was characterised by a significantly lower species diversity compared to other sites. In fact, the samples taken were usually characterised by a relatively high biodiversity. The obtained results may suggest that anthropogenic activities, including those leading to environmental pollution with heavy metals and to a strong transformation of natural habitats, do not completely destroy biodiversity, and in some cases leave space for nature to create habitats where even rare species of organisms such as Syrphidae can develop.
The aim of the present study was to determine the fluctuating asymmetry of the first pair of wings in females Polistes nimpha (Christ, 1791) living in an environment contaminated with heavy metals. The average concentration of Zn, Cd and Pb in the bodies of the insects varied depending on the distance from the source of contamination, reaching the highest values on the site closest to the source of contamination and the lowest at the most distant site. As a result of the morphometric analyses, significant differences were found in the asymmetry values of the first pair of wings depending on the level of Zn, Cd, Pb accumulated by the wasps. In the case of shape asymmetry, differences were found for all the effects studied (year of capture and site). Significant differences were also found in the size of wings between individuals captured on Sites 1 and 2 and those caught on Site 3. Specimens caught on site characterized by the lowest concentration of heavy metals in the topsoil, proved to be significantly larger than the insects collected on the other sites. There were no differences in the size of individuals between the different years of capture. Based on the results obtained by us, it can be assumed that the wings of P. nimpha females may become a useful object in studying the impact of environmental stress of Zn, Cd and Pb pollution on the symmetry of their wings.
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