Suchergebnisse

Social wasps are natural enemies of caterpillars and, therefore, they have potential to control insect pests in various crops. Three colonies of Polybia platycephala (Richards) and one of Polistes versicolor (Olivier) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) were found on plants of banana (Musa spp.) in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. These colonies were at 3.50 m high, under the leaves, which provide shelter from environmental stress.

Social wasps can be used as ecological indicators. However, the diversity of species of this group in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, is poorly studied, especially in anthropized environments. The objective was to study diversity of these insects in the campus of the "Universidade Federal de Viçosa" in Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, from May to June 2011 with two methodologies (attractive traps and active search). Eight hundred and eighty-nine individuals of social wasps of 10 genera and 25 species were collected. The high species richness found can be explained by the diverse environment of the area studied with greater availability of microhabitats, greater protection against predators, and high availability and diversity of food and substrates for nesting which may favor the coexistence of a greater number of species. In addition, combined use of two collecting methodologies provided a greater diversity of wasps captured.

Predation of Lepidoptera caterpillars - including agricultural pest species - is one of the main ways through which social wasps gather proteinaceous resources. The presence of social wasps was sampled through active search and bait traps through a sugarcane culture cycle, totaling 12 months. Our aim was to record the presence of these insects during the sugarcane development cycle in order to obtain data to support alternative pest control strategies. A total of 1091 individuals in seven genera and 20 species of social wasps were collected, including the swarm-founding Agelaia vicina and Polybia sericea (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Social wasp richness and abundance were not correlated with climatic variables (temperature, humidity and precipitation). However, richness was negatively correlated to the sugarcane plants' height (r= -0.4360, p= 0.05). The presence of social wasps during the plant's cycle shows their potential as predators in sugarcane culture pest management.

Colony defense by social wasps includes aggressive behavior and camouflage with a high diversity of adaptation of their nests to the environment, including substrate choice. The objective of this study was to present new data on nesting and colony defense by the Neotropical social wasps Metapolybia cingulata and Metapolybia docilis (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Field observations were made on January 4th and 5th, 2022 at the State Park of Iguaçu, state of Paraná, Brazil, on M. cingulata and M. docilis nests and information on nesting of these wasps obtained in 2014 at the Pandeiros River Wildlife Refuge (REVIS), and in 2012 at the Rio Doce State Park, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The types of substrates used by M. cingulata and M. docilis reinforce the importance of nest camouflage as a defense strategy for their colonies. The selection of nesting sites by these species was very variable.

Social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) of the subfamily Polistinae, being biological pest control agents, can effectively participate in ongoing efforts to limit the use of chemical agents used in combating insect pests in urban forestry. The objective of the study, conducted in Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, in May 2011, was aimed at identifying species of this group foraging on Eugenia uniflora Linnaeus (Myrtaceae) plants. The study area was monitored once a week, even as data on social wasps foraging on plants of E. uniflora were collected. The data collected included study of their daily activity pattern, diversity, dominance and overlap of temporal niches relating to species of this group. Data analysis revealed that E. uniflora plants were visited by 217 individuals of 16 species of the subfamily Polistinae. Foraging behavior of social wasps bore no relationship with sampling time, but overlap of temporal niche was high. It was observed that the species of social wasps did not damage healthy fruits, but they were probably searching for Lonchaeidae and Tephritidae larvae. It is important to preserve the diversity of these predators, since they are potentially important as a partial alternative to environmentally degrading chemical pesticides currently used in urban forestry for pest control.