Local habitat conditions shaping the assemblages of vespid wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in a post-agricultural landscape of the Kampinos National Park in Poland

Abstract

the landscape of the Kampinos national park (Kpn), a UneSco Biosphere Reserve in poland, is a mosaic of habitats created by natural processes and human activities. However, ongoing abandonment of traditional management has led to the development of forest communities in formerly open areas. the aim of the study was to identify the local habitat conditions promoting the abundance and diversity of wasp species (Vespidae) in the post-agricultural landscape of KPN. A total of 52 samples of Vespidae caught per unit effort (CPUE) were collected across various habitats with different levels of soil humidity, bare ground and mosaicity. the highest numbers and greatest species richness of vespids were recorded in open habitats on semihydrogenic and dry soil, which provided nesting sites for hypergeic (nesting above the ground) and endogeic (ground nesting) wasps. Many solitary species that are hypergeic were significantly associated with old, abandoned wooden buildings. As vespids need resources to build and provision the nest, their communities were shaped not only by the nature of the habitat sampled but also by the mosaicity of the surrounding area. the highest abundance and species richness were recorded in samples from a heterogenous landscape, which provided a wider range of available resources in the vicinity of the nest. Our findings have significant implications for the management of park landscapes: afforestation of open habitats, both human-induced and resulting from natural succession, and the removal of old abandoned wooden buildings may limit landscape mosaicity and thus decrease hymenopteran diversity. Wasps of the family Vespidae are distributed worldwide, but most of the species are known from tropical regions. With ca. 4,700 species described in the world's fauna, the family is divided into six subfamilies 1. In Poland, only members of three subfamilies are known: the Eumeninae, Polistinae and Vespinae 2. The Eumeninae wasps, also called potter wasps, belong to solitary species, and most of them are rather rarely collected. The wasps of the Polistinae and Vespinae are eusocial and include socially parasitic and workerless species which use closely related taxa as hosts 3,4. The social species of Vespidae are usually favoured in studies as they are very common and possess ecological and economic importance. They kill, and thus control, many pest species in order to feed their larvae. Also, they pollinate flowers that they visit to feed on their nectar 5. Vespinae wasps pose a threat to people through their ability to sting, which can sometimes result in fatal allergic reactions to the venom 1,6. They are also vectors of disease-causing bacteria, such as Escherichia coli. Wasps are sometimes responsible for losses of fruit crops, particularly plums, pears and grapes 1. Ecological studies concern mostly descriptions of vespid assemblages in various plant communities and ecosystems, and they lack analyses of the environmental factors determining Vespidae diversity. In addition, solitary

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