scholarly journals Different trophic positions among social vespid species revealed by stable isotopes

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 210472
Author(s):  
Jyrki Torniainen ◽  
Atte Komonen
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Generalist Predators ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
Vespa Crabro ◽  
Vespula Vulgaris ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Uk

The social vespid wasps are common insect predators and several species behave in unison in the same biotopes. It is commonly accepted that social wasps are mainly opportunistic generalist predators without differences in prey selection and hence they compete for the same food resources. Trophic positions of six vespid wasp species and their potential prey from four sites in Finland and one in the UK were evaluated using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (δ 13 C and δ 15 N). The difference in isotope values indicated different trophic positions among species. In general, Dolichovespula spp. showed higher δ 15 N values than Vespula spp., which suggests that Dolichovespula forage on higher trophic levels. Dolichovespula media (Retzius, 1783) showed the highest δ 15 N values, whereas Vespula vulgaris showed the lowest. Dolichovespula media partly expresses apex predator-like δ 15 N values, whereas Vespula species tend to forage on primary consumers. The largest species Vespa crabro (Linnaeus, 1758) showed also similar δ 15 N values as Vespula spp. However, δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of V. vulgaris workers varied slightly during the season. This study offers novel insights about the trophic segregation in the social wasp community, suggesting specialization in diet resource utilization, especially between Dolichovespula and Vespula .

scholarly journals Detection and Replication of Moku Virus in Honey Bees and Social Wasps

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 607
Author(s):  
Andrea Highfield ◽  
Jessica Kevill ◽  
Gideon Mordecai ◽  
Jade Hunt ◽  
Summer Henderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Vespa Velutina ◽  
Vespa Crabro ◽  
Vespula Vulgaris ◽  
Virus Transfer ◽  
Ecological Importance ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Vespula Pensylvanica

Transmission of honey bee viruses to other insects, and vice versa, has previously been reported and the true ecological importance of this phenomenon is still being realized. Members of the family Vespidae interact with honey bees via predation or through the robbing of brood or honey from colonies, and these activities could result in virus transfer. In this study we screened Vespa velutina and Vespa crabro collected from Europe and China and also honey bees and Vespula vulgaris from the UK for Moku virus (MV), an Iflavirus first discovered in the predatory social wasp Vespula pensylvanica in Hawaii. MV was found in 71% of Vespula vulgaris screened and was also detected in UK Vespa crabro. Only seven percent of Vespa velutina individuals screened were MV-positive and these were exclusively samples from Jersey. Of 69 honey bee colonies screened, 43% tested positive for MV. MV replication was confirmed in Apis mellifera and Vespidae species, being most frequently detected in Vespula vulgaris. MV sequences from the UK were most similar to MV from Vespula pensylvanica compared to MV from Vespa velutina in Belgium. The implications of the transfer of viruses between the Vespidae and honey bees are discussed.

scholarly journals The social wasp community (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in an area of Atlantic Forest, Ubatuba, Brazil

Check List ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Coutinho Togni ◽  
Gabriela De Almeida Locher ◽  
Edilberto Giannotti ◽  
Orlando Tobias Silveira
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
The Social ◽  
High Species Richness ◽  
Great Relevance ◽  
Very High

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is of great relevance to biological conservation, and is among the areas in South America with the highest levels of diversity and endemism. The aim of this study was to survey the social wasp species in the subfamily Polistinae in Ubatuba, São Paulo state, in southwestern Brazil. Collecting work was conducted from May 2007 to May 2008 using attractive PET bottle traps and active searching. Twenty-one species belonging to eight genera were found, among which some may be considered rare in southeastern Brazil such as Mischocyttarus parallelogrammus and Polybia catillifex. The most abundant species were Agelaia angulata (64.31%), Agelaia nr. centralis (10.08%) and Angiopolybia pallens (8.49%). A correlation between species richness and relative humidity (r = 0.6435; p = 0.0176) was observed. Values of species richness were a little higher in the super humid (Sm = 11) than in the less humid (Sm = 9) season. This suggests that this season may have more favorable environmental conditions for a greater richness of species to found colonies. Despite not having a very high species richness compared with other surveys, the collected species in this study can be considered rare in southeastern Brazil, emphasizing the complexity of the Atlantic Forest biome and its relation to the diversity of wasps.

scholarly journals Introduced Vespa velutina does not replace native Vespa crabro and Vespula species

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Carisio ◽  
Jacopo Cerri ◽  
Simone Lioy ◽  
Ettore Bianchi ◽  
Sandro Bertolino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
Vespa Velutina ◽  
Vespa Crabro ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
Vespula Vulgaris ◽  
Vespula Germanica

Alien species invasion could lead to the replacement of native species with similar ecological requirements. Vespa velutina is an invasive hornet recently established in Europe, that is raising concern due to the associated economic and ecological impacts toward managed and wild pollinators besides to the potential competition and replacement of native wasp species. This led to the inclusion of V. velutina in the European list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern. Nevertheless, V. velutina impacts on the native wasp community is poorly understood. We analysed the influence of V. velutina abundance on the European hornet Vespa crabro in a four-year invaded area in Italy. Moreover, we assessed the impacts of its presence on V. crabro, Vespula vulgaris and Vespula germanica, by comparing the invaded area with an uninvaded one. A Bayesian Generalized Linear Model, implemented to control some relevant environmental confounders, indicate that the relationship between Vespa species was positive at low abundances, while for high values of V. velutina the two species did not covary anymore. The distribution of V. crabro, V. vulgaris and V. germanica showed a considerable overlap between the invaded and uninvaded areas. Overall, the results bring to the conclusion that native Vespidae have probably avoided or minimised a competition pressure, and therefore the presence of V. velutina has not led to an evident replacement of V. crabro and Vespula species. This provides reassurance regarding the conservation status of native European Vespidae following V. velutina invasion.

Update to the knowledge of the social wasps of the Brazilian state of Amapá based on the vespid collection of the Amapá Research Institute (IEPA) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4563 (2) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
ORLANDO TOBIAS SILVEIRA ◽  
NERCY VIRGINIA RABELO FURTADO ◽  
JOSÉ MADSON DE FREITAS GAMA ◽  
SHERLEM PATRICIA DE SEIXAS FELIZARDO ◽  
IAN PATRICK VILHENA DOS SANTOS
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
New Records ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
The State ◽  
Guiana Shield ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
Road Infrastructure ◽  
The Social

Information is presented concerning specimen records of polistine social wasps in the state of Amapá, Brazil, in the years from 1904 to 2016, mainly coming from the IEPA and MPEG collections. Spatial distribution of records and of the total collecting effort were analyzed with respect to general landscape aspects of the region, such as vegetation types, hydrography, road infrastructure and the state network of conservation unities. The number of social wasp species registered for Amapá is now 144, with 17 new records of species for the Guiana Shield, and nine species not yet described. Seventeen genera are known to occur in the region, with Mischocyttarus de Saussure and Polybia Lepeletier being richer in species. 

scholarly journals Current knowledge about the social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in the state of Piauí, Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-170
Author(s):  
Agda Alves da Rocha ◽  
Orlando Tobias Silveira
Keyword(s):  
New Records ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
The State ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
The Social ◽  
Occurrence Records

New records of social wasps in the State of Piauí are presented, contributing to an increased knowledge of this group in this poorly studied region. This study documents new occurrence records for 12 social wasp species and extends their distribution. Atualização do Conhecimento Sobre Vespas Sociais (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) no Estado do Piauí, BrasilResumo. São apresentados novos registros da fauna de vespas sociais em localidades do Piauí, contribuindo para o aumento do conhecimento desse grupo de organismos na região. Este estudo registra a ocorrência de 12 novos registros de vespas sociais, ampliando suas distribuições.

scholarly journals Social wasp (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) beer trapping in Finland 2008-2012: a German surprise

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jouni Sorvari
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Wasp ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Short History ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
Vespula Vulgaris ◽  
Vespula Germanica ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Common ◽  
Trapping Location

Beer trapping has been carried out annually in the summer in south western Finland (Turku) from 2008 to 2012 inclusive. In 2012, an additional trapping programme was conducted in southern (Helsinki), central (Kuopio) and northern (Kevo) Finland, which also included another trapping location in the south western (Turku) region. The traps were always presented for seven days in each location. While the median wasp Dolichovespula media (Retzius, 1783) was present in all locations, the common wasp Vespula vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 was found in five out of six locations (20 traps per site). The Kevo individual represents the northernmost record for the median wasp species. The German wasp Vespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793) was surprisingly common in south western and southern Finland. Vespula germanica has a short history of occurrence in Finland and seems to have shifted its range northwards, possibly due to climate change. Some common species of the genus Dolichovespula Rohwer, 1916 were likely underrepresented, because they are not very attracted by beer.

Nest odor dynamics in the social wasp Vespula vulgaris

2005 ◽  
Vol 92 (9) ◽  
pp. 414-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inge Steinmetz ◽  
Erik Schmolz
Keyword(s):  
Social Wasp ◽  
Vespula Vulgaris ◽  
The Social

Relationship between morphometrics and trophic levels in deep-sea fishes

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. 225-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
MA Ladds ◽  
MH Pinkerton ◽  
E Jones ◽  
LM Durante ◽  
MR Dunn
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Trophic Level ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Ecosystem Model ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Fish Size ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Gape Size ◽  
Morphological Variables

Marine food webs are structured, in part, by predator gape size. Species found in deep-sea environments may have evolved such that they can consume prey of a wide range of sizes, to maximise resource intake in a low-productivity ecosystem. Estimates of gape size are central to some types of ecosystem model that determine which prey are available to predators, but cannot always be measured directly. Deep-sea species are hypothesized to have larger gape sizes than shallower-water species relative to their body size and, because of pronounced adaptive foraging behaviour, show only a weak relationship between gape size and trophic level. Here we present new data describing selective morphological measurements and gape sizes of 134 osteichthyan and chondrichthyan species from the deep sea (200-1300 m) off New Zealand. We describe how gape size (height, width and area) varied with factors including fish size, taxonomy (class and order within a class) and trophic level estimated from stable isotopes. For deep-sea species, there was a strong relationship between gape size and fish size, better predicted by body mass than total length, which varied by taxonomic group. Results show that predictions of gape size can be made from commonly measured morphological variables. No relationship between gape size and trophic level was found, likely a reflection of using trophic level estimates from stable isotopes as opposed to the commonly used estimates from FishBase. These results support the hypothesis that deep-sea fish are generalists within their environment, including suspected scavenging, even at the highest trophic levels.

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