Page 183 - Наукові записки Державного природознавчого музею, 2023 Вип. 39

180 Голіней Г. М., Різун В. Б., Шевчик Л. О. та ін.

Holinei H.M., Rizun V.B., Shevchyk L.O., Kravets N.Ya., Prokopiak M.Z., Kryzhanovska M.A.,
Shcherbachenko T.M.
The new record of the Mammoth Wasp Megascolia maculata (Drury, 1773) in the Ternopil oblast
as evidence of the species range expansion
Mammoth Wasp Megascolia maculata (Drury, 1773) (Hymenoptera, Scoliidae) widely distributed
in the south of the Western Palearctic and is the largest Hymenoptera insect in Europe. The species
range covers southern and partially Central Europe, North Africa, Turkey, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia,
Western and Central Asia (Western Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Israel, Kuwait, Iran,
Afghanistan). Three subspecies are distinguished within the species range: Megascolia (Regiscolia)
maculata bischoffi (Micha, 1927) – island of Cyprus, Megascolia (Regiscolia) maculata flavifrons
(Fabricius, 1775) – western Mediterranean including Italy, Megascolia (Regiscolia) maculata maculata
(Drury, 1773) – Eastern Mediterranean, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia. However, DNA
barcoding showed no difference between these three subspecies (Schmid-Egger, Schmidt, 2021). In
Ukraine it is represented by a nominative subspecies Megascolia (Regiscolia) maculata maculata
(Drury, 1773), most of the findings are concentrated in the central and southeastern provinces (oblasts).
The species is listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine with protection status: not evaluated (NE). The
purpose of the study was to analyze its spread in Ukraine and neighboring countries, in particular,
define the northern boundary of the species range. The material for the work was collections (State
Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, entomological collection of the
Department of Botany and Zoology of Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University),
own observations, literature data, information from web resources on biodiversity: GBIF - 3800
findings GBIF, 2023; Megascolia…, 2023), iNaturalist – 3208 observations (iNaturalist, 2023), Data
Centre «Biodiversity of Ukraine» – 265 records, Ukrainian Biodiversity Information Network – 127
findings. Data on a new discovered of Mammoth Wasp Megascolia maculata (Drury, 1773) in the
Ternopil oblast (24.06.2022, Laskivtsi village, Ternopilskyi district, 49.170338N, 25.568823E) are
presented. The distribution of the species in Ukraine and neighboring countries is analyzed, a map of
the distribution of the species in the region is presented and indicated the expansion of the species
range in the northwest direction. Probably, for the next few years we can expect it’s discovered in the
Lviv and Volyn oblasts, as well as in Poland.
Key words: Megascolia maculata, Mammoth Wasp, Hymenoptera, areal, Red Data Book.