Bee diversity in fragmented areas of Volcano Etna (Sicily, Italy) at different degrees of anthropic disturbance (Hymenoptera: Apoidea, Anthophila)

A three-year study on Mount Etna, Sicily, revealed that fragmented pedemontane areas under varying degrees of anthropic disturbance support a rich bee diversity, with 163 species identified across five families. The research, comparing four sites—two urban parks, a nature reserve, and an agroecosystem—against a control site, found similar species richness (104 vs. 102) but highlighted strong seasonal variations influenced by forage sources, nesting sites, and human activities. These findings provide a baseline for assessing management strategies to preserve bee diversity, particularly in fragmented environments, while emphasizing the importance of season-long sampling for ecological studies using bees as indicators.

Turrisi, G. F., Bella, S., Catania, R., La Greca, P., Nobile, V., & D’Urso, V. (2022). Bee diversity in fragmented areas of Volcano Etna (Sicily, Italy) at different degrees of anthropic disturbance (Hymenoptera: Apoidea, Anthophila). Journal of Entomological and Acarological Research, 53(3). https://doi.org/10.4081/jear.2021.10326