To date, 26 species of the subfamily Nomiinae are known to occur in Pakistan. Among these, most of the species have been reported from the northern parts of Punjab, particularly the Pothwar region. In this study, sweat bees from the subfamily Nomiinae were collected from six districts of southern Punjab, Pakistan, to identify their taxonomic diversity. A total of nine species from four genera i.e., Austronomia Michener, 1965, Lipotriches Gerstaecker, 1858, Nomia Letreille, 1804, and Pseudapis Kirby, 1900 were identified. These species were Austronomia pilipes (Smith, 1875), Lipotriches (Armatriches) fervida (Smith, 1875), L. (Lipotriches) fulvinerva (Cameron, 1907), Nomia (Leuconomia) interstitialis Cameron, 1898, N. (Nomia) curvipes (Fabricius, 1793), N. (Hoplonomia) westwoodi (Gribodo, 1894), Pseudapis (Pseudapis) nilotica (Smith, 1875), P. (Pseudapis) oxybeloides (Smith, 1875), and P. (Nomiapis) bispinosa (Brulle, 1832). All the bee species except P. oxybeloides are reported for the first time from southern Punjab, Pakistan. A key to the genera of the subfamily Nomiinae, species, diagnoses, floral hosts, and distributions are provided. Moreover, habitus photographs and male genitalia illustrations are provided for each species except L. fervida and L. fulvinerva, as no male specimens were collected during the entire study period. This study will be helpful in the establishment of conservation strategies for native bees.

Bumblebee species are vital wild pollinators, providing essential pollination services for various crops, fruits, and vegetables. However, their biodiversity is vulnerable to decline due to climate change, particularly in regions like northern Pakistan. Despite this, no research has yet been conducted on the distribution patterns of bumblebee species in this region. The current study aimed to model the spatial distribution of three important bumblebee species: Bombus haemorrhoidalis, B. rufofasciatus, and B. subtypicus in northern Pakistan. Habitat suitability and the contribution of bioclimatic variables to the spatial distribution of species were assessed using the MaxEnt approach. Current and future bioclimatic variables, along with presence-only records of three bumblebee species, were incorporated into the species distribution model. The results indicated that nearly 96% of the area (43 out of 45 cities in northern Pakistan) showed habitat suitability for all three species in the current scenario. Among these 43 cities, five exhibited a 100% overlap in suitable areas for the three species. However, this overlap area is expected to decrease in the future, particularly by the middle of the 21st century, highlighting these regions as prime candidates for conservation. In terms of bioclimatic factors influencing spatial distribution, the study found that temperature-related variables played a more significant role than precipitation-related ones in current and future scenarios. Specifically, bio3 (isothermality) contributed 48% to B. haemorrhoidalis and 43% to B. rufofasciatus, while bio2 (mean diurnal range) was the most influential factor for B. subtypicus. Temperature-related variables accounted for more than 80%, 69.4%, and 78.3% of the spatial variation in B. haemorrhoidalis, B. rufofasciatus, and B. subtypicus, respectively. This study demonstrates the critical influence of temperature on the spatial distribution of bumblebee species in northern Pakistan, underscoring the need for climate-focused conservation strategies to protect these important wild pollinators.

Bees are essential for providing ecosystem services such as pollination to many crops worldwide. However, there is growing concern over the decline of bee populations, which threatens agricultural productivity. Despite the known importance of bees, including non-Apis bees, in crop pollination, their diversity and distribution remain understudied in the Potohar region of Pakistan. The current study addresses this gap by assessing the biodiversity of non-Apis bees across five districts of the Potohar region, Pakistan: Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad. The objective was to evaluate the species richness, diversity, and evenness using various richness and diversity indices. A total of 2005 specimens, representing 27 species from 13 genera and five families (Apidae, Halictidae, Colletidae, Megachilidae, and Andrenidae), were collected over 24 surveys conducted between 2012 and 2015. Two richness indices, Shannon’s Species Richness Index and Margalef’s Richness Index, showed moderate to high species richness across localities, with values ranging from 2.378 to 4.186 and 1.508 to 2.711, respectively. Simpson’s Index and Simpson’s Reciprocal Index exhibited dominance and high diversity across sites, with values ranging from 0.094 to 0.880 and 4.446 to 11.315, respectively. Additionally, the Shannon–Wiener and Shannon Equitability indices indicated fairly even species distributions across localities. A correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships between most indices, except for Simpson’s Reciprocal Index, which showed negative correlations with the other indices. These findings provide crucial insights into the biodiversity of non-Apis bees in the Potohar region and underscore the importance of maintaining diverse pollinator communities to support sustainable agriculture in the area.