scholarly journals Is the social wasp fauna in the tree canopy different from the understory? Study of a particular area in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest

Sociobiology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Somavilla ◽  
Raimundo Nonato Martins de Moraes Junior ◽  
José Albertino Rafael
Keyword(s):  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Amazon Rainforest ◽  
Forest Understory ◽  
Insect Community ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Difference

Most studies about the insect community in rainforests only focus on the forest understory, and even though the rainforest canopy is one of the most fascinating and diverse environments, it remains poorly explored. Therefore, we analyzed the difference between the social wasp composition in these two strata at the ZF-2 Station in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, using flight interception traps (Malaise model Gressi and Gressi), in the rainforest understory and canopy. We collected ninety-two species belonging to 18 genera; Polybia was the richest genera (22 species), followed by Mischocyttarus (14) and Agelaia (13). Forty-four species were exclusively collected in the understory, twenty exclusively collected in the canopy, and twenty-eight in both strata. The understory was distinctly more diverse and more abundant than the canopy, while some rare or poorly collected species were only found in the canopy. We found a strong relationship between the species composition at the ZF-2 Station and the Ducke Reserve. Therefore, we suggest using traps in canopy in the Amazon biome as an effective method for collecting a higher diversity of social wasps.

First observations of a social wasp preying on termite workers

Sociobiology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 225
Author(s):  
Christopher K Starr
Keyword(s):  
West Indies ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
First Report ◽  
Nasutitermes Corniger ◽  
The Social

The social wasp Polybia quadricincta is observed preying opportunistically on workers of the termite Nasutitermes corniger in Trinidad, West Indies.  Several Polybia spp. and other social wasps are known to prey on winged reproductive, but this appears to be the first report of any preying on workers.

scholarly journals The social wasp community (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) and new distribution record of Polybia ruficeps in an area of Caatinga Biome, northeastern Brazil

Check List ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1530 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Carneiro Melo ◽  
Bruno Corrêa Barbosa ◽  
Mariana Monteiro de Castro ◽  
Gilberto Marcos de Mendonça Santos ◽  
Fábio Prezoto
Keyword(s):  
Social Wasp ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Local Fauna ◽  
The Social ◽  
Caatinga Biome ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
First Time ◽  
Distribution Record

Social wasps are broadly distributed in Brazil, and their distribution is closely related to local plant composition. However, only a few studies on the diversity of these insects have been carried out in northeastern Brazil, and in Caatinga Biome the diversity is probably underestimated due to the lack of inventories for the region. Aiming at advancing the knowledge about the wasp fauna, we carried out this study from October 2005 to September 2006 in Ibipeba, northeastern Brazil. We collected 172 wasps of five genera and eight species, and recorded Polybia ruficeps Schrottky, 1902 for the first time in the state of Bahia. The most abundant species was Polybia ignobilis (Haliday, 1836) (n = 69), and the least abundant were Brachygastra lecheguana (Latreille, 1824) (n = 2) and Polistes canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) (n = 2). The present study inventory focused exclusively on the diversity of social wasps in an area of Caatinga, which contributes to advance the local fauna knowledge.

Biodiversity of Insects in the Amazon: survey of social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) in Amazon rainforest areas in Amazonas state, Brazil

Sociobiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 312
Author(s):  
Alexandre Somavilla ◽  
Raimundo Nonato Martins Moraes Junior ◽  
Marcio Luiz Oliveira ◽  
José Albertino Rafael
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
New Records ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
Amazon Region ◽  
Amazon Rainforest ◽  
Amazonas State ◽  
Malaise Traps

The thematic network ‘Biodiversity of Insects in the Amazon’ is the first network among researchers of the Brazilian Amazon in terms of the increase of knowledge and provision of subsidies for the conservation of Amazonian biodiversity, focusing on insects, and disseminate this knowledge to different sectors of society. In this way, expeditions to six localities in the Amazonas State were carried out and we present here the results for social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae). We used two modified Malaise traps combined with two suspended traps from July 2016 to June 2017. A total of 140 species and 20 genera were collected: 92 species and 18 genera in ZF-2-Manaus area, where the greatest diversity was recorded, followed by Tefé (73 species, 16 genera), Careiro-Castanho (72 species, 17 genera), Novo Airão (71 species, 16 genera), Presidente Figueiredo (62 species, 16 genera), and Ipixuna (58 species, 17 genera). Metapolybia rufata Richards, 1978 and Polybia diguetana du Buysson, 1905 were new records for Brazil, and other six species were first records for Amazonas state. The results indicate that further investigations should significantly increase the species diversity of wasps in the Amazon region and add more information to the knowledge of Polistinae diversity.

Polybia (Myrapetra) scutellaris (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) foraging on flies at carcasses of Rattus norvegicus (Rodentia: Muridae)

Sociobiology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 728
Author(s):  
Anita Herdina ◽  
Gabriela Bitencourt ◽  
Rocco Di Mare ◽  
Bruno Corrêa Barbosa
Keyword(s):  
Rattus Norvegicus ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
Polybia Occidentalis ◽  
The Social ◽  
Polybia Paulista

Social wasps stand out due to their role in the trophic balance of the ecosystems. These insects can get nutrients by preying on other insects, such as Lepidoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and the decomposing remains of vertebrates. Some species, such as Polybia scutellaris, can also use pollen and nectar stored in their nests to produce honey. Some studies lay emphasis on the prey captured by social wasps, showing that predation, in some conditions, is directed to Lepidoptera larvae, such as for Polybia occidentalis, Polybia paulista and Polybia ignobilis. Other species like P. scutellaris focus on flies of the Tabanidae, Syrphidae, Muscidae and Anthomyiidae families. There are few studies with social wasps that feed on animal carcasses; this way, our study aims to report the predation on individuals of the Sarcophagidae family, which use Rattus norvegicus carcasses as a food source, by the social wasp Polybia scutellari

scholarly journals Survey of social wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae) in Amazon rainforest fragments in Acre, Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-116
Author(s):  
Bruno GOMES ◽  
Samilla Vanessa de Lima KNIDEL ◽  
Heroílson da Silva MORAES ◽  
Marjorie da SILVA
Keyword(s):  
New Records ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
The State ◽  
Amazon Rainforest ◽  
Natural Areas ◽  
High Degree ◽  
New Distribution

ABSTRACT The State of Acre, in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon, harbors high biodiversity and a high degree of endemisms. Nevertheless, there are few studies on the diversity of social wasps occurring in this region. This study presents a list of social wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae) collected actively with attractive bait in three rainforest fragments in Acre. A total of 758 wasps belonging to 11 genera and 36 species were collected. Nineteen species were new distribution records for Acre and three others were new records for Brazil. Based on our results, further investigations should lead to a significant increase in Polistinae diversity in this region, producing information for biogeographic studies and management of natural areas.

scholarly journals Biodiversity of Insecta in Amazonia: Updating the geographic records of social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) in Acre and Rondônia States, Brazil

Sociobiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 584
Author(s):  
Alexandre Somavilla ◽  
Raimundo Nonato De Morais Junior ◽  
Paulo Cézar Salgado Barroso ◽  
Marcio Luiz Oliveira ◽  
José Albertino Rafael
Keyword(s):  
Social Wasp ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
Amazon Region ◽  
Amazon Rainforest ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
High Degree ◽  
New Distribution ◽  
Malaise Traps

The Acre and Rondônia states in Brazil are part of Western Amazon rainforest in Brazil, an area harboring high biodiversity and high degree of endemisms Nevertheless, there are few studies on diversity of social wasps occurring in both states. This study presents a list of social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) collected using three modified Malaise traps model: Townes, Gressit and Gressit, and suspended traps in two localities in Acre and two in Rondônia state.  A total of 60 species were collected, 20 of these species are new distribution records to Acre state and 54 species, 15 of these species are new distribution records to Rondônia state. Some species are not commonly found in the collections and lists of species, and some are recorded for the first or second time to Brazil or the Amazon region. Now there are 114 species (19 genera) for Acre and 116 species (19 genera) for Rondônia. This increase may be an indication that the Polistinae richness is probably higher in the regions studied and that Acre and Rondônia may well contain a number of additional (as yet unrecorded) social wasp species. He we present an updated about the geographic records of social wasps’ fauna in both states.

scholarly journals Nesting associations between Chartergus globiventris Saussure (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) and Tolmomyias sulphurescens Spix (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae) in southeastern Brazil

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Magalhães Souza ◽  
Ângela Gomes Brunismann ◽  
Epifânio Porfiro Pires
Keyword(s):  
Nest Predation ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Nest Construction ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
The Social ◽  
De Se ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
First Time

Abstract. The success of social wasps is highly dependent on nest construction and colony maintenance. Species use different strategies to avoid nest predation, including forming associations with other insects and vertebrates. This study describes for the first time the association between the social wasp Chartergus globiventris Saussure and the yellow-olive flycatcher Tolmomyias sulphurescens Spix in a deciduous seasonal forest fragment in southeastern Brazil. We located eight active C. globiventris colonies in the study site, three of which were associated with active T. sulphurescens nests. Bird-wasp associations in previous studies have been regarded as commensalism because only birds seem to benefit. However, further studies are needed to better understand the potential benefits of this relationship for both taxa.Associações de nidificação entre Chartergus globiventris Saussure (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) e Tolmomyias sulphurescens Spix (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae) no sudeste do BrasilResumo. O sucesso das espécies de vespas sociais está relacionado tanto a construção quanto a manutenção das colônias. Várias espécies utilizam de diversas estratégias para evitar a predação de seus ninhos, como a associação com outros insetos e vertebrados. O presente estudo descreve o primeiro registro da associação da vespa social Chartergus globiventris Saussure com a ave Tolmomyias sulphurescens Spix em fragmento de Floresta Estacional Decidual no Sudeste do Brasil. Foram registradas oito colônias de C. globiventris ativas em diferentes espécies arbóreas, das quais três estavam associadas a ninhos ativos de T. sulphurescens. A associação entre a ave e a vespa tem sido tratada como comensalismo, pois apenas a ave obtém vantagens aparente, como discutido na literatura. Contudo, é necessário realizar experimentações ou análises mais aprofundadas a fim de se obter afirmações sobre os benefícios dessa relação.</p

scholarly journals Diversity of wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in conventional and organic guarana (Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis) crops in the Brazilian Amazon

Sociobiology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Somavilla ◽  
Karine Schoeninger ◽  
Dark Gabriela Dolzane Castro ◽  
Marcio Luiz Oliveira ◽  
Cristiane Krug
Keyword(s):  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Organic Management ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
Paullinia Cupana ◽  
Conventional Management ◽  
Native Forests ◽  
Crop Field ◽  
Sampling Points ◽  
The Difference

Diversity of wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in conventional and organic guarana (Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis) crops in the Brazilian Amazon. The present study aimed to determine the diversity of wasp species associated with the guaraná crop and the difference in composition of species associated to organic and conventional crops, as well as among environments established in each management (adjacent forest, crop edge and guaraná crop). We collected 977 individuals and 59 species, in 23 genera of Vespidae, sixteen of Polistinae (52 species) and seven Eumeninae (seven species). Polybia was the most abundant and rich genus with 553 specimens and 15 species, followed by Agelaia (139, nine) and Protopolybia (103, five). In organic management crop, 686 individuals allocated in 18 genera and 47 species were collected, whereas in conventional management crop 291 individuals allocated in 18 genera and 41 species were collected. According to the three sampling points, in both management types, the edge of the crop field shows the highest abundance of wasps with a total of 519 individuals allocated in 19 genera and 45 species. Given the intense use of both environments (forest and crop) by the wasps, it is important to grow crops in regions near native forests, where the chances of social wasp colonies to be founded are increased. 

Evaluating the efficiency of different sampling methods to survey social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) in an anthropized environment

Sociobiology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Castro Jacques ◽  
Epifânio Pires ◽  
Marcel Gustavo Hermes ◽  
Lucas Del Bianco Faria ◽  
Marcos Magalhães Souza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
Active Search ◽  
The Social ◽  
Area Sampling ◽  
Flower Visiting ◽  
Species Being

Social wasps play important ecological roles, such as the natural biological control of other arthropods as well as major components of the flower-visiting insect guild. Despite many studies focusing on the survey of these organisms in Brazil, information on the community structure of polistines in anthropized environmets is still rare. The goals of the present study were: i) to survey the social wasp fauna in an anthropized area in the transition of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest; ii) to investigate the efficiency of two sampling methods, namely active search for wasps and the use of attractive traps; iii) to investigate the performance of different attractive baits in the capture success of social wasps in the study area. Sampling of social wasps was conducted by actively searching for individuals and by using attractive traps. A total of 40 species was recorded, with Agelaia multipicta and Agelaia vicina species being the most frequently collected with attractive traps and Mischocyttarus cassununga by actively searching for wasps. In all analyses performed (except when comparing abundance of social wasps considering the molasses bait and the active search), actively searching for wasps was the best method. This is also highlighted by the fact that the time spent actively capturing polistines was considerably lower than the time (and costs) that the traps were left in the field. Active search, as demonstrated by previous studies, remains as the best capturing methodology when surveying Neotropical social wasps, either in natural or anthropized environments.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document