Andrzej Oleksa

Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz · Department of Genetics

Several honey bee (Apis mellifera) subspecies are in danger of local extinction because their feral population have almost completely disappeared. An important threat to the feral populations of bees is loss of habitat and loss of woodlands. In many places the only habitat suitable for honey bee nesting are rows of trees along roadsides. We studied...

Northern Poland is inhabited by native Apis mellifera mellifera (AMM) and the non-native A. m. carnica (AMC) which was introduced by beekeepers. However, hybrids between the two subspecies of honey bee are relatively rare. The lower than expected proportion of hybrids is hypothesised to be related to reproductive isolation between AMM and AMC. To v...

Identification of honey bee (Apis mellifera) subspecies is important for their protection. It is also used by queen breeders to maintain some breeding lines. In this study, we compared three methods of subspecies identification based on the following: 17 microsatellite loci, COI-COII mitotypes and geometric morphometrics of forewing venation. The m...

Carniolan honey bees (Apis mellifera carnica) are considered as an indigenous subspecies in Hungary adapted to most of the ecological and climatic conditions in this area. However, during the last decades Hungarian beekeepers have recognized morphological signs of the Italian honey bee (Apis mellifera ligustica). As the natural distribution of the...

In Europe, protecting the genetic diversity of Apis mellifera is usually perceived in the context of limiting the spread of the evolutionary C-lineage within the original range of the M-lineage. However, due to climate change and large-scale ongoing movement of breeding individuals, the expansion of bees from the African A-lineage could represent a...

Seed production is known to reveal high individual variation in tree populations, shaping regeneration and competition patterns. In isolated populations, individual variation in seed production drives genetic drift and inbreeding, increasing the risk of local extinction. In this study, we investigated the variation in seed production within a natur...

Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) are important for agriculture and ecosystems; however, they are threatened by the changing climate. In order to adapt and respond to emerging difficulties, beekeepers require the ability to continuously monitor their beehives. To carry out this, the utilization of advanced machine learning techniques proves to be an ex...

Nomioides minutissimus is one of the smallest Polish bees. It has been observed in a limited number of localities in the country. Between 2010 and 2022 N. minutissimus was found in new localities and its presence in some of the known ones was confirmed.

This study assessed the conservation status of the Saharan honey bee ( Apis mellifera sahariensis ) from southeastern Morocco using 12 microsatellite loci to examine genetic diversity and hybridization with other subspecies. Samples from 148 colonies were clustered into seven populations representing the expected distribution of A. m. intermissa an...

Background: The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is an ecologically and economically important species that provides pollination services to natural and agricultural systems. The biodiversity of the honey bee in parts of its native range is endangered by migratory beekeeping and commercial breeding. In consequence, some honey bee populations that are we...

DeepWings© is a software that uses machine learning to automatically classify honey bee subspecies by wing geometric morphometrics. Here, we tested the five subspecies classifier (A. m. carnica, Apis mellifera caucasia, A. m. iberiensis, Apis mellifera ligustica, and A. m. mellifera) of DeepWings© on 14,816 wing images with variable quality and acq...

Identification of honey bee (Apis mellifera) from various parts of the world is essential for protection of their biodiversity. The identification can be based on wing measurements which is inexpensive and easy available. In order to develop such identification there are required reference samples from various parts or the world. We provide collect...

In Morocco, there are two well-recognised honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) subspecies: A. m. intermissa in the north and A. m. sahariensis in the south-east. The latter subspecies is found in the arid and semiarid climates of the Sahara Desert. In this study, we used honey bees from four areas of south-eastern Morocco which are, to some degree, isolat...

Simple Summary The western honey bee is one of the most ecologically and economically important pollinator species. Due to human interference, it faces serious challenges, not only in number decline and habitat loss, but also in natural subspecies diversity and distribution. The conservation of genetic diversity and perseverance of locally adapted...

Wydawać by się mogło, że ochrona owadów niemających bezpośredniego znaczenia dla człowieka nie ma większego sensu, a generuje jedynie problemy poprzez narzucenie ograniczeń na szeroko pojęty rozwój gospodarczy. Tymczasem przyglądając się nieco bliżej temu zagadnieniu można zrozumieć głęboką potrzebę tego działania i możliwość pogodzenia interesów o...

Obtaining biological material for DNA extraction is often challenging in organisms of conservation interest. Non-invasive sampling (i.e., sampling without injuring or disturbing an animal) is preferred as it carries no risk to the population’s survival. Here, we tested the possibility of using the body remains left by bird predators for microsatell...

Individual differences in male reproductive success drive genetic drift and natural selection, altering genetic variation and phenotypic trait distributions in future generations. Therefore, identifying the determinants of reproductive success is important for understanding the ecology and evolution of plants. Here, based on the spatially‐explicit...

During the Last Glacial Maximum in the northern Hemisphere, expanding ice sheets forced a large number of plants, including trees, to retreat from their primary distribution areas. Many host-associated herbivores migrated along with their host plants. Long-lasting geographic isolation between glacial refugia could have been led to the allopatric sp...

The white stork Ciconia ciconia nest, with its impressive size of over 1.5 m in height, a diameter of over 1.5 m and weight exceeding a ton, belongs the largest and heaviest structures built by birds all over the world. This permanent construction which is made of long sticks laid in layers and the thick lining consisting of hay, straw, manure, rub...

--- Background and Aims --- Dispersal is crucial due to its direct impact on dynamics of a species’ distribution as well as having a role in shaping adaptive potential through gene flow. In plants forming scarce and small populations, knowledge about the dispersal process is required to assess the potential for colonizing new habitats and connectiv...

Introduced plants are often identified as the major conservation concern worldwide, however, they also may offer conservation benefits, among others, provide habitat and/or food resources to protected animals. Here we aimed to assess the ability of the great Capricorn beetle Cerambyx cerdo, a highly specialised species associated with mature oaks,...

Eristalis pertinax varies seasonally, with the spring morph more hairy than the summer morph. We measured the size and the venation of the wings of the seasonal morphs. Wings of the spring morph were significantly larger than those of the summer morph and those of females were larger than those of males. There were also significant differences betw...

Fourteen microsatellite loci are described for the eastern European hermit beetles, Osmoderma barnabita, a vulnerable and internationally protected species associated with mature hollow trees. Based on 45 individuals from Poland, 13 of 14 loci were polymorphic. The number of alleles per polymorphic locus ranged from 2 to 13, and the observed and ex...

Figure S1. Neighbour‐joining tree using Nei genetic distance.

Understanding factors that limit gene flow through the landscape is crucial for conservation of organisms living in fragmented habitats. We analysed patterns of gene flow in Elater ferrugineus, an endangered click beetle living in old-growth, hollow trees in a network of rural avenues surrounded by inhospitable arable land. Using amplified fragment...

Living in unstable habitats is expected to decrease the intensity of isolation by distance in popula-tions through the need for frequent movements of individuals. Insects associated with fruiting bodies of fungi therefore are supposed to have weak spatial genetic structure of populations com-pared with those living in more stable habitats. With the...

Species confined to temporally stable habitats are usually susceptible to habitat fragmentation, as living in long-lasting habitats is predicted to constrain evolution of dispersal ability. In Europe, saproxylic invertebrates associated with tree hollows are currently threatened due to the severe fragmentation of their habitat, but data on the popu...

In Europe honey bees are considered as domesticated animals. Beekeepers provide them with hives, feed them, protect against parasites and manage them extensively. However, the number of colonies in central and northern Europe is declining, Feral colonies of honey bees once present in Europe have also seen a sharp decline in recent years.

Protecting populations in their natural habitat allows for the maintenance of naturally evolved adaptations and ecological relationships. However, the conservation of genetic resources often requires complementary practices like gene banks, translocations or reintroductions. In order to minimize inbreeding depression and maximize the adaptive poten...

Dlaczego pachnica? Owad do niedawna mało znany. Jako pędrak przez kilka lat pędzi skryte życie we wnętrzu starego drzewa, tylko na kilka tygodni ujawniając się światu w postaci doskonałej – okazałego, pięknego chrząszcza. Ale pokazuje się niezbyt chętnie – niewielu widziało go na własne oczy. Tu jednak nie chodzi o samą tylko pachnicę, aczkolwiek j...

Peripheral populations may be crucial for understanding processes underlying adaptive genetic variation. Their evolution and ecology are driven by various genetic and demographic processes, such as selection, gene flow and bottleneck. Peripheral populations often experience a reduction in density resulting in the Allee effect. The presence of inter...

Habitat fragmentation can have severe genetic consequences for trees, such as increased inbreeding and decreased effective population size. In effect, local populations suffer from reduction of genetic variation, and thus loss of adaptive capacity, which consequently increases their risk of extinction. In Europe, Taxus baccata is among a number of...

The genetic diversity of the north and western European subspecies of honey bee, Apis mellifera mellifera (the "dark bee") is severely endangered due to hybridization with introduced bees of evolutionary branch C. Genetic variability of native honey bees in the north-eastern part of Poland, including a special isolated breeding zone in the Augustow...

Philaeus chrysops is a species of jumping-spiders associated with sparsely vegetated, stony and sandy habitats. Although its geographic distribution in Palearctic is wide, it is relatively rare and endangered outside the Mediterranean region. The species is threatened to extinction and it is included in the Red List of the Endangered Species in Pol...

Hermit beetles of the genus Osmoderma (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) are known for their fruity odour, which is released in large amounts by males. Two species of the genus occur in Europe, the eastern Osmoderma barnabita (Motschulsky) and the western Osmoderma eremita (Scopoli). Previous studies on Swedish populations of O. eremita showed...

In plants, the magnitude of seed and pollen dispersal plays a pivotal role in shaping genetic structure of populations. Restricted dispersal of genes can stimulate the increase of inbreeding as well as spatial clustering of relatives. These phenomena are explained by the theory of isolation-by-distance. Because of its biology, European beech (Fagus...

The occurrence of Ovalisia rutilans, an endangered beetle developing in lime trees, was studied in a network of rural avenues in northern Poland. We examined 2052 small-leaved lime trees (Tìlia cordata) planted along road verges. Among them, 32 trees (1.54%) were occupied by O. rutilans. The beetle preferred trees of worse health class. Trees plant...

Th e hermit beetle Osmoderma eremita is an important fl agship species (or perhaps more likely, a complex of closely related species) for the conservation of biodiversity connected to environments rich in old, hollow trees. In recent years, studies on ecology and distribution of O. eremita were intensifi ed because of its signifi cance in the desig...

The occurrence of Osmoderma eremita (Scopoli, 1763), an endangered species restricted to hollow trees, was studied in a network of rural avenues in northern Poland. We detected 1002 trees with hollows suitable for hermit beetle development (25% of all trees). Among them, 114 (11%) were occupied by O. eremita. The distribution of O. eremita was not...

The occurrence of Protaetia lugubris, an endangered species developing in hollow trees, was studied in a network of rural avenues in northern Poland. We detected 1002 trees from nine species with hollows suitable for beetle development (25% of all trees inspected). Among them, 74 trees (7.4%) from seven species were occupied by P. lugubris. The dis...

A pselaphine species, Euplectus duponti Aubé, 1833, is reported for the first time to occur in Poland. Data concerning its general distribution and ecology are given. Characteristic morphological features of the species are discussed and illustrated.

It is often assumed that the survival of saproxylic insects in agricultural landscapes hinges on migration from source forest refugees. We surveyed over one thousand km2 area in mixed forest and agricultural landscapes in NE Poland to examine the relationship between the occurrence of the saproxylic beetles Osmoderma eremita and Protaetia lugubris...

The Pselaphinae beetle, Bibloplectus spinosus Raffray, 1914, is reported for the first time from Poland. General data on its distribution and ecology are given. Characteristic morphological features of the species are pointed out and compared with those of closely related species.

Cranberry Fritillary is a tyrphobiotic butterfly,inhabiting peat bogs with Oxycoccus palustris, which is a food plant of its larvae. In many parts of Europe, excluding Scandinavia and North-Eastern Europe, it has isolated localities; in Poland the species only occurs in the northern, north-eastern and southeastern regions of the country and has bec...

Rubus chamaemorus L. is a threatened species, strictly protected in Poland. Its distribution is restricted to Sudety Mts, Pomerania and Warmia and Mazury regions. The species was found in a new locality in NE Poland: Piłag near Morag, in a peat-bog pine wood. Whole population covers area of 0.5 ha, mean population density is 69.4 stems/m2 (SD 47.48...

The Hermit beetle Osmoderma eremita (Scopoli, 1763)(Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) in Poland - occurrence, threats and protection: On the basis of published data, a survey of old collections, and field investigations conducted lately in some parts of Poland, the distribution of Osmoderma eremita and the current state of its population have been evaluat...

Rubus chamaemorus L. is a threatened species, strictly protected in Poland. Its distribution is restricted to Sudety Mts, Pomerania and Warmia and Mazury regions. The species was found in a new locality in NE Poland: Piłag near Morag, in a peat-bog pine wood. Whole population covers area of 0.5 ha, mean population density is 69.4 stems/m2 (SD 47.48...

Hermit beetles of the genus Osmoderma (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) are known for their fruity odour, which is released in large amounts by males. Two species of the genus occur in Europe, the eastern Osmoderma barnabita (Motschulsky) and the western Osmoderma eremita (Scopoli). Previous studies on Swedish populations of O. eremita showed...