New manipulation records of social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) behavior by the entomopathogenic Ophiocordyceps Petch (Hypocreales: Ophiocordycipitaceae) fungus.

The knowledge of entomopathogenic fungus in social wasps is limited, however, association appears to be more common than past thinking. In this study, we recorded the occurrence of eight social wasp species infected: Agelaia fulvofasciata, Agelaia testacea, Apoica cf. pallida, Polistes rufiventris, Polybia dimidiata, Polybia liliacea, Polybia striata, Synoeca virginea, Polistes (Aphanilopterus), and one Mischocyttarus (Mischocyttarus) morphotypes by Ophiocordyceps sphecocephala for the first, and added some new geographic range extension records for the already reported association of Ophiocordyceps humbertii for some locations in the Neotropics with a brief behavioral diagnosis of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]