Morphophysiological and cuticular chemical alterations caused by Xenos entomophagus endoparasites in the social wasp Polistes ferreri (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

Parasitology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 143 (14) ◽  
pp. 1939-1944 ◽  
Author(s):  
VIVIANA DE OLIVEIRA TORRES ◽  
EVA RAMONA PEREIRA SOARES ◽  
LUAN DIAS LIMA ◽  
SANDRO MARCIO LIMA ◽  
LUIS HUMBERTO DA CUNHA ANDRADE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Wasp ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
Chemical Profile ◽  
Colony Cycle ◽  
The Social ◽  
Chemical Profiles

SUMMARYSocial wasps can face many challenges during their colony cycle, including the presence of parasites. The order Strepsiptera is among the main parasites of the wasp genus Polistes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an endoparasite species on the host Polistes ferreri, with the hypothesis that females of this social wasp would undergo morphophysiological alterations as well as changes in their cuticular chemical profile caused by the obligate endoparasite. On average, parasitism was found in 10% of the colonies studied. All the parasitized females showed filamentous ovarioles without developing oocytes, which indicates a physiological castration. Moreover, the endoparasites present in the gaster of females caused its volume to increase, and the presence of endoparasites changed the cuticular chemical profiles of females, confirming our hypothesis. It is likely that this parasitism effect could hamper the maintenance of wasp colonies.

The timing of conflict and cooperation among cofoundresses of the social wasp Polistes fuscatus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
George J. Gamboa ◽  
Katherine A. Stump
Keyword(s):  
Social Wasp ◽  
Adaptive Significance ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Polistes Fuscatus ◽  
Conflict And Cooperation ◽  
Colony Cycle ◽  
The Social ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
Ecological Pressure ◽  
Temporal Overlap

Field observations were made on 37 preworker, multiple-foundress colonies of the social wasp Polistes fuscatus. In total, 401.9 h of behavioural observations of cofoundresses were conducted at three different periods prior to the emergence of workers. Cofoundresses displayed a marked, significant increase in aggression at about the time in the colony cycle when reproductive-destined eggs began to be laid. Both queens and their subordinates became increasingly aggressive at this time. These empirical results support theoretical predictions that conflict among cofoundresses would intensify over the production of reproductive-destined (but not worker-destined) eggs. Cooperation in foraging to minimize nest inattendance as well as synchronicity (temporal overlap) in activity also increased significantly at the onset of the production of reproductive-destined eggs. Thus, conflict and cooperation are not necessarily antagonistic in P. fuscatus. Foundresses minimized the time that nests are unattended at a time in the colony cycle when most conspecific usurpations occur. This suggests that the ecological pressure of conspecific usurpation has favoured increased coordination in foraging to minimize the time nests are unattended. The adaptive significance, if any, of an increase in synchronicity of activity among cofoundresses at the onset of the production of reproductives is not obvious.

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.

The disappearance of subordinate foundresses in paper wasps: eviction by nestmates or reproductive strategy?

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (12) ◽  
pp. 1928-1933 ◽  
Author(s):  
George J Gamboa ◽  
Janet L Savoyard ◽  
Laura M Panek
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Strategy ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Paper Wasps ◽  
Polistes Fuscatus ◽  
Colony Cycle ◽  
The Social ◽  
Behavioural Evidence ◽  
Related Mortality

Videotaped observations (371.3 h) were conducted in 1995, 1996, and 1997 on 50 multiple-foundress colonies of the social wasp Polistes fuscatus. Observations were made during the mid-preworker, late-preworker, and early-postworker stages of the colony cycle. The vast majority of lost subordinate cofoundresses (62 of 77) disappeared during the time interval from 2 weeks before to 4 weeks after the emergence of the first workers. The loss of subordinates did not appear to be the result of senescence or foraging-related mortality. Lost subordinates were from productive and presumably healthy colonies. In colonies containing two or more subordinates, lost subordinates had significantly greater dominance ranks than expected. There was no behavioural evidence that lost subordinates were evicted from their colony by queens, other subordinate foundresses, or workers. Lost subordinates were not observed to renest, join sister colonies, or adopt orphaned nests. Our results indicate that lost subordinates leave colonies of their own volition. Indirect evidence from other studies suggests that subordinates may disperse and usurp colonies from other sites.

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.

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.

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 Colony cycle of the social wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis Zikán (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viviana O. Torres ◽  
Thiago S. Montagna ◽  
Wedson D. Fernandes ◽  
William F. Antonialli-Junior
Keyword(s):  
Social Wasp ◽  
Colony Cycle ◽  
The Social

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

Morphological Differences between Reproductive and Non-reproductive Females in the Social Wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis Zikán (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Sociobiology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thiago Santos Montagna ◽  
William Fernando Antonialli-Junior
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Ovarian Development ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Colony Cycle ◽  
The Social ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
Reproductive Females ◽  
Reproductive Division Of Labor ◽  
Reproductive Division ◽  
Polistine Wasps

Phenotypic divergence plays an important role in establishment of the reproductive division of labor among castes in social insects; however, little is known about this subject in independent-founding polistine wasps. In this study, we investigated morphological differences among foundresses from associative and solitary foundations, as well as among females produced in different phases of the colony cycle in Mischocyttarus consimilis Zikán. Our results showed that the alpha foundress had significantly greater body size than auxiliary foundresses, although it did not differ in size from solitary foundresses. In addition, the alpha foundress had greater ovarian development than their auxiliary and solitary foundresses. We also demonstrated that gynes were significantly larger than workers. These results therefore suggest that the phenotype of females emerging in colonies M. consimilis can vary with the progress of the colony cycle, and that body size and ovarian condition are closely linked to the function performed by the foundress.

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.

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