EN
Species composition, dominance structure, and phenology of bees (Apiformes) was studied in the Białowiea National Park, which is a part of the most extensive primeval forest on the European Plain, the Białowiea Forest (NE Poland). In total 146 species of Apiformes are reported from the park. Beside the more or less abundant honey bees, the major bee species is Bombus lucorum, accounting for about 30% of wild bees and as much as 71.5% of bumblebees recorded there. Among 3 other bee species dominating in a large part of Poland, Bombus pascuorum accounts for nearly 11% of bumblebees, while B. terrestris and B. lapidarius are accessory species in the park. This shows approximately how the bee fauna looked like in most parts of Poland and Central Europe before human activity started to change the landscape radically, starting from the Middle Ages.