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Social wasps are insects that construct their nests using wood pulp, plant and themselves secretions for the accomplishment of their activities as a colony. Currently in Colombia, there is little knowledge about this interesting material due to its characteristics, which could be used in promising applications. In this work the chemical and thermal characterization of nests of seven species of wasps (Agelaia pallipes, Agelaia multipicta, Agelaia areata, Polybia aequatorialis, Parachartergus apicalis, Mischucytharus imitator, Brachygastra lecheguana) living in Norte de Santander, was carried out with the purpose of establishing if there are significant differences between species and provide information that could be used as a model or precursors for the synthesis in biomimetics and / or nanotechnology. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were performed using a Thermal analyser SDT-Q600 from T.A. Instruments. An infrared spectrophotometer FT-IR SHIMADZU Prestige-21 with ATR was used for infrared analysis. The fluorescence analysis (XRF) was performed using a sequential X-ray fluorescence spectrometer of dispersive wavelength of 4kW BRUKER model S8 TIGER. The thermogravimetric analysis shows three mass losses and four degradation processes related to moisture loss, degradation of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin. The infrared analysis allowed identifying characteristic functional groups of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Through the X-ray fluorescence analysis, some metals such as K, Ca, Al, Mg, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se and Li were found. The analyses made of the samples allowed to establish differences and similarities in the construction material of the studied species.

In this chapter, we list the 381 species of social wasps from Brazil and inform the Brazilian state distribution: Agelaia (n = 21 species), Angiopolybia (n = 4), Apoica (n = 9), Asteloeca (n = 3), Brachygastra (n = 13), Chartergellus (n = 10), Charterginus (n = 2), Chartergus (n = 3), Clypearia (n = 7), Epipona (n = 2), Leipomeles (n = 4), Metapolybia (n = 16), Mischocyttarus (n = 144), Nectarinella (n = 2), Parachartergus (n = 13), Polistes (n = 43), Polybia (n = 51), Protonectarina (n = 1), Protopolybia (n = 24), Pseudopolybia (n = 4), and Synoeca (n = 5).

Pain is a natural bioassay for detecting and quantifying biological activities of venoms. The painfulness of stings delivered by ants, wasps, and bees can be easily measured in the field or lab using the stinging insect pain scale that rates the pain intensity from 1 to 4, with 1 being minor pain, and 4 being extreme, debilitating, excruciating pain. The painfulness of stings of 96 species of stinging insects and the lethalities of the venoms of 90 species was determined and utilized for pinpointing future directions for investigating venoms having pharmaceutically active principles that could benefit humanity. The findings suggest several under- or unexplored insect venoms worthy of future investigations, including: those that have exceedingly painful venoms, yet with extremely low lethality&mdash, tarantula hawk wasps (Pepsis) and velvet ants (Mutillidae), those that have extremely lethal venoms, yet induce very little pain&mdash, the ants, Daceton and Tetraponera, and those that have venomous stings and are both painful and lethal&mdash, the ants Pogonomyrmex, Paraponera, Myrmecia, Neoponera, and the social wasps Synoeca, Agelaia, and Brachygastra. Taken together, and separately, sting pain and venom lethality point to promising directions for mining of pharmaceutically active components derived from insect venoms.

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, Amazonas, Manaus, using flight interception Malaise traps, 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 relationship between the species composition at the ZF-2 Station and the Ducke Reserve, Manaus. Therefore, we suggest using traps in canopy in the Amazon biome as an effective method for collecting a higher diversity of social wasps. © 2019 Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana. All rights reserved.

We evaluated the occurrence of social wasps in the decomposition process in tropical rainforest in central Amazonia (Ducke Reserve, Manaus, Brazil), using cadavers of rats as attractants, exposed in suspended cages. Ten species, in three genera, of social wasps were collected only in the initial stages of decay (fresh and bloated). Five species were collected, mainly in the fresh stage, feeding on flesh: Agelaia angulata, Agelaia constructor, Agelaia fulvofasciata, Agelaia pallipes and Angiopolybia pallens. Five species were collected, mainly in the bloated stage, feeding on flesh and eggs and first instar larvae of dipteran: Agelaia testacea, Angiopolybia obidensis, Apoica arborea, Apoica pallens and Apoica thoracica. Due to the aspect of the injuries caused by the wasps to the carcass, they may be mistaken as skin ulcers, burns or abrasions, which may mislead a forensic investigation. Keywords: Agelaia, Angiopolybia, Apoica, Forensic entomology, Necrophagy

With the goal of knowing the vespid fauna of the region, weekly samplings were carried out in the Estação Ambiental de Peti, São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo, Minas Gerais, Brazil. This reserve is inside the Espinhaço Range and is marked by an ecotone formation of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest in its domain. Two Malaise traps were used: one was set in an Atlantic Forest area and the other in Cerrado vegetation. The collecting lasted one year, from April 2002 to April 2003. A total of 553 vespids of 28 species distributed in 11 genera were collected, of which 18 were Polistinae and 10 Eumeninae. The most frequent species were Agelaia myrmecophila (Ducke, 1905), A. multipicta (Haliday, 1836), Polybia flavifrons Smith, 1857 and Mischocyttarus rotundicollis (Cameron, 1912). The abundance was highest in the wet period only for the Polistinae in Atlantic Forest and Eumeninae in Cerrado. Another 18 species were found to occur in the area but were not collected by Malaise traps. The study revealed two species recorded for the first time in the State of Minas Gerais: Pararhaphidoglossa confluenta (Fox, 1899) and Zethus dubius Smith, 1857.

Analgesic therapy is based on the sequential treatment of pain, in which opioids are drugs of last resource and known to be highly effective, but are also responsible for undesirable side effects, tolerance and addiction. There is a need for new drugs with alternative targets in order to minimize side effects and improve treatment efficacy. Mastoparans are an abundant class of peptides in wasp venom and have shown great potential as new drugs, as well as being excellent tools for the study of G-protein-coupled receptors. The objective of this study was to investigate the antinociceptive activity of the mastoparan Agelaia-MP I and the mechanisms involved. Agelaia-MP I (MW 1565 Da) showed dose-dependent antinociceptive activity in mice submitted to i.c.v. injection in two different models. The highest dose produced a maximum effect for up to 4 h, and nociception remained low three days after injection. Further experiments showed that Agelaia-MPI induced partial and reversible blockade of the amplitude of action potential, probably interacting with voltage-gated sodium channels. These results revealed the significant potential impact of compounds isolated from wasp venom on the central nervous system (CNS). In addition, the antinociceptive effect described here is a novel activity for mastoparans.

The social Hymenoptera increasingly arouse the attention of researchers due to the great economic and ecological importance to the species belonging to this order. The processes of pollination performed by these insects, the biological control, the structures of nests and colonies, the social organization, the accidents arising from their stings and the pharmacological potential of venoms synthesized by them, represent some of the features that make these individuals, targets of important studies. The sting apparatus and venom represent fundamental defense mechanisms of these insects. In order to characterize the convoluted and the venom gland of these species and gain an understanding of the relationship between the components, this study aimed to analyze through morphology and histochemical techniques the venom glands of the wasps, Polistes versicolor , Agelaia palipes palipes and Polybia paulista , and also the convoluted gland - a structure found in the reservoir, establishing the defining characteristics of these structures. In addition to the morphological features described about these structures, our results showed the presence of secretion produced by the convoluted gland cells which indicates that this structure contributes to the final composition of the venom produced and stored in the reservoir.

Social wasps play an important role in communities, whether in natural or agricultural ecosystems, performing pollination and/or predation on other organisms, especially caterpillars, which reveals their potential for biological control. We register species of predatory wasps found in a eucalypt reforested area compared with a native rainforest. Five species of social wasps were found: Agelaia myrmecophila (Ducke), Mischocyttarus punctatus (Ducke), Polistes carnifex (Fabricius), Polybia liliacea (Fabricius), and Polybia striata (Fabricius), with higher numbers in the eucalypt monoculture than in the Atlantic rainforest, suggesting no negative impact of the monoculture on the population of that natural enemies.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-12T01:37:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-03-01 A survey of social wasps (Vespidae, Polistinae), common insects of Neotropical fauna, which perform a great variety of ecosystemic services, was conducted for the first time in areas of the Amazon forest in Rondônia state. The state is part of the Western Amazon, a region harboring high biodiversity, which is under threat due to constant deforestation. Three areas were sampled, and the wasps were actively collected, and an attractive liquid was sprayed onto the vegetation to bait the wasps. Two thousand nine hundred and sixty-one wasps were sampled in all three areas, distributed in 72 species of 15 genera. Thirtynine species were recorded for the first time in the state and three others (Agelaia melanopyga Cooper, Brachygastra cooperi Andena and Carpenter and Polybia diguetana du Buysson) represents the first record for Brazil. Agelaia Lepeletier was the most abundant genus in all areas and the greatest species richness was found for Polybia Lepeletier. The highest number of species was recorded in Floresta Nacional do Jamari (51), followed by Estação Ecológica de Cuniã (46) and forest fragment of Universidade Federal de Rondônia (39). The latter also presented the highest number of different genera. The great diversity, mainly for Epiponini, which represented 64 of the 72 species, can be attributed to location of the areas and methodology. Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto Universidade de São Paulo (USP) Universidade Federal de Rondônia (UNIR) Campus José Ribeiro Filho Instituto de Biociências Letras e Ciências Exatas Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Letras e Ciências Exatas Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP)

This work aims to recognize and record the occurrence of species of social wasps (Polistinae) in organic tobacco crops, as well as to point out possible species that may be used in future biological control programs. The research was conducted in Virginia-type tobacco farming with organic management in two regions in south of Brazil. The collections were carried out with Malaise trap, during the harvests 2008/2009, 2009/2010 and 2010/2011. A total of 2.738 wasps, from which 23 species distributed in six genera was collected. Polistes was the most diverse genus (8 species), followed by Polybia, Mischocyttarus, Agelaia, Bachygastra and Protonectarina. Polybia scutellaris was the most abundant species, being considered eudominant. Agelaia multipicta and Polybia sericea with are also among the most abundant. This information is relevant for the insertion of social wasps with potential agents in the biological control of tobacco pests.

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.

Postmortem injuries are a source of misinterpretations in forensic analysis and therefore are subject matter of taphonomic interest. Many types of injuries can cause different artifacts, which deserve attention of the forensic pathologists when evaluating corpses, either at the crime scene or during an autopsy. Insects can be important biotaphonomic agents and their activity may result in artifacts that resemble antemortem injuries. Here, we describe postmortem injuries caused by the Neotropical wasp Agelaia fulvofasciata (Degeer, 1773) on domestic pig carcasses weighting 15 kg. The specimens showed extensive injuries to the lower lip, similar to lacerations, and some minor lesions on the snout and anus. In addition, we observed the same wasp species preying on larvae of Sarcophagidae (Peckia sp.). Besides causing postmortem injuries, the ability of this species to detect carcasses in the early and fresh decomposition stages should be noted. Thus, future applications aiming criminal, any biotaphonomic events caused by carrion insects need to be disclosed. Keywords: Autopsy, Forensic Entomology, Savanna

Apesar de essenciais, trabalhos que objetivem conhecer a riqueza de vespas em meios naturais e agrícolas são incipientes, refletindo em escassez de tempo, recursos e logística adequada para a sua elaboração. Assim, nosso estudo buscou conhecer as espécies de vespas sociais em área com fragmento florestal, plantio de eucaliptos e pomar, além de testar a hipótese de que inventários rápidos, utilizando-se a busca ativa e armadilhas atrativas são estratégias viáveis para amostrar espécies com maior abundância. Foram coletadas 365 vespas sociais, distribuídas em quatro gêneros e 10 espécies, de modo que o pomar registrou maior riqueza específica (s=8), diversidade (H’=0,5131) e abundância (n=218). Tanto Agelaia vicina (Saussure), quanto Polybia ignobilis (Haliday) e Polistes versicolor (Oliver) foram relatadas nas três áreas. O gênero Agelaia contabilizou mais de 70% dos indivíduos coletados, resultados equivalentes aos de trabalhos conduzidos em fitofisionomias similares, validando a hipótese apresentada. Os inventários constituem-se, ferramentas eficazes na amostragem de espécies de vespas sociais abundantes, refletindo na diminuição de custos e logística em trabalhos de levantamento, contribuindo com ampliação do número de estudos sobre conservação e monitoramento ambiental, além dos relacionados a programas de manejo integrado de pragas. A Fast Inventory of Social Wasps in Three Environments with Different Vegetation Abstract. Although essential, researches that seek to discover the richness of wasps in natural and agricultural environments are incipient, reflecting in shortage of time, resources and adequate logistics for its formulation. Therefore, our study sought to know the species of social wasps in areas with forest fragments, eucalyptus plantations and orchard, in addition to test the hypothesis that fast inventories involving active search and attractive traps are viable strategies for sampling species with greater abundance. We collected 365 social wasps, distributed amongst four genera and 10 species, and the orchard reported the greatest specific richness (s=8), diversity (H'=0.5131) and abundance (n=218). Agelaia vicina (Saussure), Polybia ignobilis (Haliday) and Polistes versicolor (Oliver) were found in the three areas. The genus Agelaia accounted over 70% of the collected individuals, results equivalent to those carried out in similar works regarding phytophysiognomy, thus validating the presented hypothesis. The inventories are effective tools on sampling abundant social wasps species, reflecting on the decrease of costs and logistics in diversity studies, contributing with an increase of the number of conservation and environmental monitoring research, in addition to the ones related to integrated pest management programs.

Here we report field observations of group hunting by two Neotropical species of paper wasps, Para- chartergus apicalis in Costa Rica and Agelaia cf. angulata in Peru. In both cases, multiple workers simultaneously attacked live caterpillar prey. We describe the wasps' behavior and their interactions with the relatively large- bodied ((80 mm length) caterpillars, and we discuss the implications of these observations for paper wasp behavior and ecology.

Comparative morphology of the mandibles of female polistine social wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae). Diversity of mandibular forms in female polistines is explored and compared among 116 species of all polistine genera. Inferences about function are made and discussed based on observed form differences. Mandible length and width measurements are analyzed for a subset of polistine species plus two vespines and two eumenines. A variable expressing the ratio between these variables is also considered in morphometric analyses. The following mechanical interactions among mandible structural elements are highlighted: opposition and crossing of mandibles' apical teeth at the middle of the closing trajectory; shearing action of the apical teeth against mesial denticles of the opposite mandible; shearing action of the mandible anterior margin against the ventral margin of the clypeus. In the genera Agelaia and Angiopolybia, exceptionally developed mesial mandibular structures may be related to necrophagy. In some epiponine genera, poorly developed mesial denticles and strong torsion of mandibles may be partially related to use of short wood fibers in nest construction as advanced by Sarmiento (2004). The considerable morphological variation found across the subfamily Polistinae is certain to be important in taxonomic and phylogenetic studies at the genus and species levels. Morfologia comparada da mandíbula da fêmea em vespas sociais da subfamília Polistinae (Hymenoptera, Vespidae). A diversidade morfológica da mandíbula da fêmea é explorada e comparada entre 116 espécies de todos os gêneros de Polistinae. Inferências sobre aspectos funcionais são feitas baseadas nas diferenças de forma observadas. Medidas do comprimento e largura da mandíbula, incluindo a razão entre essas variáveis, são analisadas para um subconjunto das espécies de Polistinae, mais duas de Vespinae e duas de Eumeninae. Os seguintes padrões de interação mecânica entre elementos estruturais são ressaltados: oposição e intercruzamento dos dentes apicais ao meio da trajetória de fechamento das mandíbulas; ação dilacerante dos dentes apicais contra os dentículos mesiais da mandíbula oposta; ação dilacerante da margem anterior da mandíbula contra a margem ventral do clípeo. Nos gêneros Agelaia e Angiopolybia, estruturas mesiais excepcionalmente desenvolvidas podem ser relacionadas ao hábito necrófago. Em alguns gêneros de Epiponini, o escasso desenvolvimento dos elementos mesiais e a forte torção do plano principal da mandíbula podem ser relacionados, pelo menos parcialmente, ao uso de fibras vegetais curtas na construção dos ninhos, como postulado por Sarmiento (2004). A considerável variação morfológica encontrada na subfamília Polistinae deverá prover informações importantes para análise em estudos taxonômicos e filogenéticos nos níveis de gênero e espécie.

In addition to feeding on carrion tissues and fluids, social wasps can also prey on immature and adult carrion flies, thereby reducing their populations and retarding the decomposition process of carcasses. In this study, we report on the occurrence and behavior of social wasps attracted to vertebrate carrion. The collections were made monthly from September 2006 to October 2007 in three environments (rural, urban, and forest) in six municipalities of southeast Brazil, using baited bottle traps. We collected Agelaia pallipes (Olivier, 1791) (n = 143), Agelaia vicina (Saussure, 1854) (n = 106), Agelaia multipicta (Haliday, 1836) (n = 18), and Polybia paulista Ihering, 1896 (n = 3). The wasps were observed feeding directly on the baits and preying on adult insects collected in the traps. Bait and habitat associations, temporal variability of social wasps, and possible forensic implications of their actions are discussed.

Con el objetivo de reconocer e identificar las especies de avispas de la familia Vespidae presentes en plantaciones de palma aceitera (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) en Tumaco, zona palmera occidental de Colombia, se evaluó e identificó la diversidad de las especies presentes en dos lotes de diferente estado fenológico: establecimiento (E) con 3 años de edad y producción (P) con 15 años de edad. Se identificaron ocho especies, Polistes versicolor versicolor, Polistes infuscatus ecuadorius, Synoeca septentrionalis, Agelaia myrmecophyla, Polybia bifasciata, Omicron sp., Alphamenes sp.y Pachymenes sp. En términos de abundancia, P. versicolor versicolor y Omicron sp., fueron las de mayor presencia en E (42,8%) y P (38,5%) respectivamente. No se registraron adultos de Pachymenes sp., en E ni de P. bifasciata en P. Los registros del total de especies capturadas se analizaron utilizando índices ecológicos de diversidad como los de Margalef, Simpson, Shannon-Wiener, Jaccard y Sorensen y de riqueza de especies y acumulación de especies. Los índices mostraron que la familia Vespidae presentó altos niveles de abundancia, dispersión y diversidad, por lo que las diferentes especies de esta familia pueden ser consideradas como una buena fuente de control natural que amerita ser estudiada y que podría considerarse como potencial para programas de manejo integrado de plagas en plantaciones de palma aceitera. Este trabajo es el primer registro oficial de especies de himenópteros de la familia Vespidae pertenecientes a la entomofauna asociada al cultivo de palma aceitera en las condiciones agroecológicas del municipio de Tumaco.

As vespas sociais constituem um grupo com elevada riqueza de espécies e muito comum em áreas amazônicas. Apesar disto, nenhum trabalho foi realizado na Amazônia Maranhense e apenas 58 espécies de vespas sociais são registradas para o estado do Maranhão. O presente trabalho apresenta dados faunísticos referentes às vespas sociais da Reserva Biológica do Gurupi, caracterizada por ser uma floresta ombrófila latifoliada amazônica localizada no noroeste do Maranhão. As coletas e instalação de armadilhas (Malaise do tipo Gressitt & Gressitt, armadilha suspensa, armadilha luminosa, armadilha atrativa com isca de fruta) ocorreram entre janeiro de 2010 e maio de 2011, totalizando 63 dias amostrados. Para a Reserva Biológica do Gurupi foram obtidos 384 espécimes de vespas sociais pertencentes a Epiponini e Polistini, alocados em 12 gêneros e 38 espécies. Polybia destacou-se por apresentar o maior número de espécies (14), seguido de Agelaia (seis espécies) e Apoica (quatro espécies). Quatorze espécies são registradas pela primeira vez para o estado do Maranhão, aumentando, desta forma, para 72 espécies com registros confirmados para o estado. Social Wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) in a Dense Ombrophilous Amazon Forest in the Maranhão State, Brazil Abstract. Social wasps are a high species richness group and very common in Amazonian areas. Despite this, no study have been made in the amazonian forest on the state of Maranhão and only 58 species of social wasps are registered for this state. This paper presents data about the social wasps fauna of Gurupi Biological Reserve, characterized as an ombrophylous broadleaf forest located in the northwest Amazon of Maranhão. The collect and traps installation (Malaise trap, suspended trap, light traps and fruit attractive trap) occurred between January 2010 and May 2011, with a total of 63 sample days. We collected 384 specimens in the Biological Reserve of Gurupi, were obtained social wasps belonging to Epiponini and Polistini, allocated to 12 genera and 38 species. Polybia have the largest number of species (14), followed by Agelaia (six species) and Apoica (four species). Fourteen species are first records for the state of Maranhão, increasing, thus, for 72 species with confirmed records occurrence to Maranhão.

Diversity and aspects of the ecology of social wasps (Vespidae, Polistinae) in Central Amazonian "terra firme" forest. The knowledge of social wasp richness and biology in the Amazonian region is considered insufficient. Although the Amazonas state is the largest in the region, until now only two brief surveys were conducted there. Considering that the systematic inventory of an area is the first step towards its conservation and wise use, this study presents faunal data on social wasp diversity in a 25 km2 area of "terra firme" (upland forest) at the Ducke Reserve, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Wasps were collected in the understory, following a protocol of three collectors walking along 60 trails 1,000 m in extension for 16 days between August and October 2010. Methods used were active search of individuals with entomological nets and nest collecting. Fifty-eight species of social wasps, allocated in 13 genera, were recorded; 67% of the collected species belong to Polybia, Agelaia and Mischocyttarus; other genera were represented by only four species or less. The most frequent species in active searches were Agelaia fulvofasciata (DeGeer, 1773), Agelaia testacea (Fabricius, 1804) and Angiopolybia pallens (Lepeletier, 1836). Twelve species were collected in nests. Prior to this study, 65 Polistinae species were deposited at the INPA Collection. Collecting in the study grid, an area not previously sampled for wasps, resulted in an increase of 25% species, and species richness was 86. According to the results, there is evidence that the diversity of social wasps at the Ducke Reserve is even higher, making it one of the richest areas in the Brazilian Amazonia.

Information is presented on social wasps and bees caught in carrion traps in ‘terra firme’ rainforest in Caxiuana, PA, Brazil. Six species of epiponine wasps were captured. Angiopolybia pallens was the most frequent species, being caught in approximately 43.5% of the trials, followed by Angiopolybia paraensis (15.8%), Agelaia fulvofasciata (5.6%) and Agelaia angulata (3.3%). Agelaia pallipes and Agelaia cajennensis both had only a single individual captured. Twelve species of social bees were captured. The genera Trigona, Partamona and Melipona had similar numbers of species, but frequencies varied considerably. One individual of Apis mellifera was captured.

In northwestern Costa Rica, Agelaia yepocapa (Richards) nests in cavities within living hollow trees in lower montane mesic forests; A. panamaensis (Cameron) nests in very large cavities in premontane gallery forests. Nests of both species have vertical combs with horizontal cells that face outward from the nest center; the nests have no enclosing envelope. In January 1996, an A. yepocapa colony was in full brood production, while an A. panamaensis colony was in the last stage of colony decline, and a nearby A. panamaensis colony had terminated only weeks before. The appearance of a small aggregation of A. panamaensis in a montane cloud forest site, too small to support a colony as large as those that had recently reached the end of a colony cycle in a nearby premontane gallery forest, suggests that the colony cycle of A. panamaensis in northwestern Costa Rica has a seasonal pattern that includes elevational migration and possible non-nesting quiescence at cool high elevations. Morphometric contr...

The eusocial vespid waspMischocyttarus mastigophorusexhibits two colour morphs, with males and females of each morph co-occurring at Monteverde, Costa Rica. Each morph closely resembles a different sympatric species of swarm-founding wasp in the genusAgelaia. We propose that theAgelaiaspecies are models for a dual mimicry system. TheAgelaiaspecies (A.yepocapa, mimicked by theM. mastigophoruspale morph, andA. xanthopus, mimicked by theM. mastigophorusdark morph) are locally abundant wasps with large, aggressively defended colonies. The mimic and models are restricted to high-elevation habitat in the Monteverde area, and the elevational ranges of bothAgelaiaspecies partially overlap the elevational range ofM. mastigophorus. Relative frequencies of theM. mastigophoruscolour morphs vary with elevation, with the pale morph predominating at lower elevations. Elevational differences in the relative abundances of theAgelaiaspecies suggest that the models act as a selective force maintaining theM. mastigophoruscolour polymorphism at Monteverde.Mischocyttarus mastigophorusoverlaps onlyA. xanthopusin the northern part of its range (S. Mexico), and overlaps onlyA. yepocapain the southern part of its range (Ecuador). We hypothesize that theM. mastigophoruscolour morphs evolved in allopatry and later came into contact in Central America. Appropriate high-elevation habitat for cloud forest species is distributed as discrete patches in Central America and Northern South America. The island-like nature of suitable habitat may favour the isolation and rapid evolutionary diversification of vespid species that are restricted to high elevations in the Neotropics.

Identification guide for nests of social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) in Reserva Ducke, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Nests of social wasps are composed mainly out of plant material. Although there are some studies about the social wasp fauna in the Amazon region, there is no work exclusively about these wasps' nests. Also, there are few catalogued nests in biological collections, because of their fragility and difficult conservation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the kinds of nests found at "Reserva Ducke", compiling information about them and developing a key to identify the nests of each genera. The nests were actively collected in tracks of the "Programa de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade" plot; areas such as "igarapés" margins, base camp's surroundings and buildings at the reserve headquarters were also explored. All the nests were photographed and their precise location was obtained by GPS. Thirty-nine wasp's nests from 17 species of Polistinae were recorded: Agelaia constructor, A. pallipes, Angiopolybia pallens, Apoica pallens, Metapolybia unilineata, Mischocyttarus lecointei, M. saturatus, Polybia bistriata, P. dimidiata, P. jurinei, P. liliacea, P. occidentalis, P. procellosa, P. rejecta, Protopolybia bituberculata, P. chartergoides and Synoeca virginea. Five uninhabited nests of Mischocyttarus, Polybia and Polistes were collected.

International audience; Here we show that trying to rob prey (cleptobiosis) from a highly specialized predatory ant species is risky. To capture prey, Allomerus decemarticulatus workers build gallery-shaped traps on the stems of their associated myrmecophyte, Hirtella physophora. We wondered whether the frequent presence of immobilized prey on the trap attracted flying cleptoparasites. Nine social wasp species nest in the H. physophora foliage; of the six species studied, only Angiopolybia pallens rob prey from Allomerus colonies. For those H. physophora not sheltering wasps, we noted cleptobiosis by stingless bees (Trigona), social wasps (A. pallens and five Agelaia species), assassin bugs (Reduviidae), and flies. A relationship between the size of the robbers and their rate of capture by ambushing Allomerus workers was established for social wasps; small wasps were easily captured, while the largest never were. Reduviids, which are slow to extract their rostrum from prey, were always captured, while Trigona and flies often escaped. The balance sheet for the ants was positive vis-à-vis the reduviids and four out of the six social wasp species. For the latter, wasps began by cutting up parts of the prey's abdomen and were captured (or abandoned the prey) before the entire abdomen was retrieved so that the total weight of the captured wasps exceeded that of the prey abdomens. For A. pallens, we show that the number of individuals captured during attempts at cleptobiosis increases with the size of the Allomerus' prey.

Community ecology aims to understand how species interactions shape species diversity and abundance. Although less studied than predatory or competitive interactions, facilitative interactions can be important in communities associated with ephemeral microhabitats. Successful recruitment from these habitats requires species to rapidly colonize, develop, and disperse during brief periods of habitat suitability. Interactions between organisms, including processing chain interactions whereby initial consumers alter resources in ways that improve their quality for subsequent consumers, could aid these processes. The terrestrial egg masses of red-eyed treefrogs (Agalychnis callidryas) are a resource for predatory wasps (Agelaia spp., Polybia rejecta) and a microhabitat and resource for saprovoric and pathogenic fungi and saprovoric flies (Megaselia spp., Psychoda savaiiensis). We investigate how interactions with wasps might facilitate fly and fungal colonization of and survival on frog egg masses. Our results indicate that wasps facilitate fungal colonization, whereas flies appear not to, and that both wasps and fungi generate frog egg carrion that attracts saprovoric flies to oviposit and increases the survival of fly larvae. While studies of colonization order often focus on inhibition by early colonizers of subsequent arrivals, this study demonstrates how early colonizers can facilitate the establishment of later ones, by modifying resources in ways that promote the location of and survival in habitat patches. This research draws attention to the diversity of interactions that can occur within ephemeral communities and emphasizes the role that positive interactions may play. Processing chain interactions may be a generally important mechanism increasing the diversity of local communities, including very ephemeral ones.

Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-27T11:26:15Z No. of bitstreams: 0Bitstream added on 2014-05-27T14:31:24Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 2-s2.0-84856970547.pdf: 1574064 bytes, checksum: d5d775525e96e5f68e6a282f32c40d96 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-27T11:26:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-12-01 We surveyed social wasps (Polistinae) present in forest fragments of northwest of So Paulo state with different surroundings composed of a matrix of citrus crops and sugarcane in the expectation that the former matrix would be more diverse than the latter. We collected specimens actively using attractive liquids. We obtained 20 species in Magda, 13 in Bebedouro, 13 in Mato, and 19 in Barretos. The most common genus was Agelaia in all of the areas. The greatest Shannon-Wiener index of diversity was obtained in Magda (H' = 2.12). Species such as Brachygastra moebiana, Metapolybia docilis, Mischocyttarus ignotus, M. paulistanus and M. consimilis had not been recorded on recent surveys in the state. Furthermore M. consimilis is a new record for the state. We concluded that, with our data, a relation between the occurrence of social wasps and the surrounding matrix was not detected. © 2011 Getulio Minoru Tanaka Junior and Fernando Barbosa Noll. Laboratório de Vespas Sociais Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica IBILCE-UNESP, Rua Cristóvão Colombo 2265, CEP 15054-000 São José do Rio Preto-SP Departamento de Biologia FFCLRP-USP, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, CEP 14040-901 Ribeiro Preto-SP Laboratório de Vespas Sociais Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica IBILCE-UNESP, Rua Cristóvão Colombo 2265, CEP 15054-000 São José do Rio Preto-SP

As vespas sociais são notáveis por sua organização social complexa, arquitetura elaborada dos ninhos, e por seu papel em ecossistemas terrestres como predadores de outros insetos e artrópodes. O número de inventários de vespas sociais no Brasil ainda é pequeno, assim como os esforços para padronização dos protocolos de coleta, dificultando a comparação entre os resultados obtidos. A composição e a riqueza das vespas sociais na Floresta Nacional de Caxiuanã, Melgaço, PA, foram avaliadas através de um inventário estruturado numa parcela quadrada de 25 km² de floresta de terra firme. Os métodos de coleta empregados foram a "busca ativa por indivíduos e colônias em trilhas de 1.000m" e "armadilhas de Malaise". Foram registradas 65 espécies de vespas sociais pertencentes a 12 gêneros. Agelaia fulvofasciata (Deeger, 1773) e Angiopolybia pallens (Lepeletier, 1836) foram as espécies mais frequentes na área em ambos os métodos. Busca ativa apresentou um melhor desempenho quanto à descoberta de espécies de vespas sociais (63) do que armadilha de Malaise (26). O levantamento representou um incremento de 21 espécies à lista obtida anteriormente para Caxiuanã e de um novo registro para o estado do Pará (Polybia brunnea (Curtis, 1844)). Social wasps are remarkable for their complex social organization, elaborated architecture of the nests, and predatory activity over other insects and arthropods. The number of inventories made in Brazil has been small as well the efforts for standardization of collecting protocols, so that adequate comparison of results remains difficult. The composition and richness of social wasps in Floresta Nacional de Caxiuanã, Melgaço, PA, Brazil were assessed by performing a structured inventory in a 25 km² square parcel of "terra firme" forest. Collecting methods were "active search for individual and colonies along 1,000 m transects" and "Malaise trapping". Sixty-five species of 12 genera were collected with both methods. Agelaia fulvofasciata (Degeer, 1773) and Angiopolybia pallens (Lepeletier, 1836) were the most frequent species. The active search method performed better (63 spp.) than Malaise traps (26 spp). The survey added 21 species to the list of Caxiuanã, and resulted in a new record for Pará state (Polybia brunnea (Curtis, 1844)).

We studied the structure and composition of communities of social wasps associated with the three insular ecosystems: mangrove swamp, the Atlantic Rain Forest and the 'restinga'- lowland sandy ecosystems located between the mountain range and the sea. Three hundred and ninety-one nests of 21 social wasp species were collected. The diversity of wasps found in each ecosystem was significantly correlated to the diversity of vegetation in each of the three physiognomies, (r² = 0.85; F(1.16) = 93.85; P < 0. 01). The Tropical Atlantic Forest physiognomy had higher species richness (18 species), followed by the restinga (16 species) and the mangrove (8 species) ecosystems. A estrutura e a composição de comunidades de vespas sociais associadas a três ecossistemas insulares com fisionomias distintas: Manguezal, Mata Atlântica e Restinga foram analisadas. Foram coletados 391 ninhos de 21 espécies de vespas sociais. A diversidade de vespas encontrada em cada ecossistema está significativamente correlacionada à diversidade de formas de vida vegetal encontrada em cada ambiente estudado (r² = 0,85; F(1.16) = 93,85; P < 0, 01). A floresta tropical Atlântica foi o ecossistema com maior riqueza de vespas (18 espécies), seguida pela Restinga (16 espécies) e pelo Manguezal (8 espécies).

The genus Agelaia Lepeletier 1836 belongs to the swarming genera of the Polistinae, with species distributed from Mexico to northern Argentina. Fifteen of the 31 described species are found in Brazil. Four species occur in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, two of them recorded herein for the first time. Redescriptions and a key to these species are provided.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T07:14:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014-01-01 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. © 2014 Check List and Authors. Universidade Estadual Paulista Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Zoologia, CEP 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi Departamento de Zoologia, Campus de Pesquisas, CEP 66040-170, Belém, PA Universidade Estadual Paulista Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Zoologia, CEP 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP

In this note we describe a raid by army ants (Eciton burchelli Westwood) on a colony of tropical swarm-founding wasps (Agelaia yepocapa Richards). The general features of such raids have been discussed elsewhere (Jeanne 1970, Naumann 1975, Young 1979). Army ants are a major predation force on social wasp colonies in many Neotropical areas (Chadab 19 79a, Jeanne 1975), and features of swarm-founding wasp behaviour indicate strong selection for dealing with army ant predation (Chadab 19 79b, Jeanne 1975). The raid described here involved a number of behavioural responses of the wasps to the ant attack which have not been reported before, and occurred at an unusually high elevation. The raid took place next to the dirt road leading to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. The wasp nest was located 4 m above the ground in a trunk cavity of a large (about 0.7 m DBH) broadleaf tree, several kilometres downhill from the Preserve headquarters. The surrounding habitat is a mixture of disturbed forest and pasture, at an elevation of about 1100 m. This is near the upper elevational limit for E. burchelli in the area (William Haber, pers. comm.) We first noticed the attack on 27 July 1988 late in the morning, but local residents claimed it had begun the previous afternoon. Army ants were entering the wasp nest cavity and extracting wasp brood (larvae and pupae) when we arrived, and continued to do so during our last observation at 1500 h that afternoon. The raid spanned a period of at least 24 h though it is uncertain whether it had continued through the night, when army ants usually bivouac (Franks 1989). The wasps were identified as Agelaia yepocapa (formerly Stelopolybia yepocapa). This is the first record of an A. yepocapa nesting site; like most

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:54:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 1997-10-01 Distinct size dimorphism was found between queens (inseminated egglayers) and workers (uninseminated non egg-layers) sampled from mature colonies of Agelaia pallipes and A. A. multipicta. In both species, among 22 measured body parts queens were larger than workers in 17 characters. The Mahalanobis' distance (D2) between castes was 122.74 in A. pallipes and 110.99 in A. A. multipicta, giving clear-cut evidence of caste separation, a conclusion which is strengthened by the absence of intermediate females. Comparisons with A. vicina and A. flavipennis demonstrated that morphological castes attributes are less developed in A. pallipes and A. A. multipicta. © 1997 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Departamento de Biologia Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901 Departamento de Zoologia e Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais Instituto de Biociências UNESP, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900 Departamento de Zoologia e Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais Instituto de Biociências UNESP, Rio Claro, SP, 13506-900

Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-27T11:27:02Z No. of bitstreams: 0Bitstream added on 2014-05-27T14:47:46Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 2-s2.0-84863776376.pdf: 516053 bytes, checksum: 93506725e425aebd8e72f52e1f35bd4d (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-27T11:27:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2012-09-15 Peptides isolated from animal venoms have shown the ability to regulate pancreatic beta cell function. Characterization of wasp venoms is important, since some components of these venoms present large molecular variability, and potential interactions with different signal transduction pathways. For example, the well studied mastoparan peptides interact with a diversity of cell types and cellular components and stimulate insulin secretion via the inhibition of ATP dependent K + (K ATP) channels, increasing intracellular Ca 2+ concentration. In this study, the insulin secretion of isolated pancreatic islets from adult Swiss mice was evaluated in the presence of synthetic Agelaia MP-I (AMP-I) peptide, and some mechanisms of action of this peptide on endocrine pancreatic function were characterized. AMP-I was manually synthesized using the Fmoc strategy, purified by RP-HPLC and analyzed using ESI-IT-TOF mass spectrometry. Isolated islets were incubated at increasing glucose concentrations (2.8, 11.1 and 22.2 mM) without (Control group: CTL) or with 10 μM AMP-I (AMP-I group). AMP-I increased insulin release at all tested glucose concentrations, when compared with CTL (P < 0.05). Since molecular analysis showed a potential role of the peptide interaction with ionic channels, insulin secretion was also analyzed in the presence of 250 μM diazoxide, a K ATP channel opener and 10 μM nifedipine, a Ca 2+ channel blocker. These drugs abolished insulin secretion in the CTL group in the presence of 2.8 and 11.1 mM glucose, whereas AMP-I also enhanced insulin secretory capacity, under these glucose conditions, when incubated with diazoxide and nifedipine. In conclusion, AMP-I increased beta cell secretion without interfering in K ATP and L-type Ca 2+ channel function, suggesting a different mechanism for this peptide, possibly by G protein interaction, due to the structural similarity of this peptide with Mastoparan-X, as obtained by modeling. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. Laboratory of Endocrine Pancreas and Metabolism Department of Structural and Functional Biology Institute of Biology, UNICAMP, C.P. 6109, Campinas, SP 13083-970 CEIS/Department of Biology Institute of Biosciences UNESP, Rio Claro, SP 13506-900 CEIS/Department of Biology Institute of Biosciences UNESP, Rio Claro, SP 13506-900