Diversity of wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata: Vespidae) along an altitudinal gradient of Atlantic Forest in Itatiaia National Park, Brazil

ABSTRACT Surveying the diversity of stinging wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) provides an important information base to assist in biodiversity conservation and the management of forest reserves, as wasps depend on and maintain the population balance of several other groups of insects. In accordance, this paper presents an altitudinal survey of wasps (Hymenoptera, Aculeata, Vespidae) in Itatiaia National Park, Brazil, which is a protected area covered by Atlantic Forest in a mountainous landscape, with altitudes ranging between 540 and 2791 metres above sea level. Six altitudinal zones were sampled with entomological net, and the abundance and diversity of the species were indicated by zones. Field sampling took 288 h of discontinuous activity, which was randomly conducted from December 2012 to December 2013. A total of 398 individuals belonging to 29 species and two subfamilies (Eumeninae and Polistinae) were sampled. Eight species are new records for the state of Rio de Janeiro. We found a monotonic decrease in wasp diversity in relation to altitude, and the number of captured individuals differed significantly between the low and high altitudes.

First host record of Epipompilus (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from Brazil and discussion of prey carriage mechanism

ABSTRACT We register for first time the occurrence of Epipompilus tucumanus Evans, 1967 in Brazil, and record the spider Ariadna boliviana Simon, 1907 as its host. The observations were made in the National Park of Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The prey carriage mechanism is described for first time for this genus, and we provide a video showing this behavior.

Five new associations of parasitoids in potter wasps (Vespidae, Eumeninae)

Five new associations of parasitoids in potter wasps (Vespidae, Eumeninae). New associations of host and parasitoids involving potter wasps: Toxophora leucon and Pleurochrysis sp. were found parasitizing Cyphomenes anisitsii, Chrysis sp. (gr. intricans) was found parasitizing Minixi suffusum, Plega beardi was found parasitizing Montezumia pelagica sepulchralis and Macrosiagon sp. was found parasitizing Pachodynerus nasidens.

Formigas como bioindicadores da qualidade do solo em sistema integrado lavoura-pecuária / Ants as bioindicators of soil quality in integrated crop-livestock system

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a comunidade de formigas em sistemas envolvendo a rotação entre lavoura e pecuária, sob plantio direto, comparado a outros sistemas de manejo e com sistemas naturais da região. O estudo foi conduzido no Município de Dourados, MS, sob Argissolo Vermelho distroférrico típico, num sistema integrado lavoura-pecuária, em plantio direto, rotacionado a cada dois anos. Outros sistemas de manejo avaliados, para comparação, incluíram o sistema convencional (aração e gradagem), sistema plantio direto e pastagem cultivada continuamente com Brachiaria decumbens, além de dois fragmentos de vegetação nativa, nos biomas Cerrado e Floresta Semidecídua. A coleta de solo foi realizada no período chuvoso (safra 2009/2010), sendo as amostragens de serapilheira realizadas com a utilização de extratores do tipo mini-Winkler, seguindo o protocolo ALL (Ants of the Leaf Litter). Os resultados indicaram morfoespécies de Strumygenys sp. e Hypoponera sp. como potencial bioindicadores de qualidade do solo. O estudo demonstrou que a importância da manutenção de fragmentos florestais (Cerrado e Floresta Semidecídua) e implementação de sistemas integrados, tais como lavoura-pecuária, são menos impactantes para a mesofauna de solo e contribuem para a conservação da diversidade de formigas e manutenção da qualidade do solo.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ant community in different systems involving the crop rotations between livestock, under no-tillage, compared to other management systems and natural systems of the Mid-Western region. The study was carried out in the Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, on a Typic Hapludox soil, in parcels including crop-livestock rotation production system under no-tillage, rotated every two years, no-tillage crop system, succession of crops under conventional tillage, continuous pasture and two fragments of native vegetation, Cerrado and Semideciduous Forest. The samples of soil were conducted during the rainy season (2009/2010), and litter sampling performed with the use of mini-Winkler extractors, following the protocol ALL (Ants of the Leaf Litter). The results indicated that the morphospecies of Strumygenys sp. and Hypoponera sp. as potential bioindicators of soil quality, depending on their frequency changes in response to different systems observed. The study have demonstrated the importance of maintaining forest fragments as stock of local biodiversity and showed that integrated systems, such as crop-livestock, are less impact ful to the meso-fauna and contribute to the conservation of ant and maintenance of soil quality.

Composição faunística de vespas (Hymenoptera: Vespoidea) na Floresta Estacional do Parque Nacional da Serra da Bodoquena, Brasil / Faunal composition of wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespoidea) in a seasonal forest from Serra da Bodoquena National Park, Brazil

Neste trabalho realizamos um inventário da fauna de vespas predadoras (Hymenoptera, Vespoidea) do Parque Nacional da Serra da Bodoquena (PNSB), municípios de Bodoquena, Bonito, Jardim e Porto Murtinho, em 42 dias descontínuos de amostragens entre fevereiro de 2007 a dezembro de 2008. Sete expedições de campo foram realizadas em áreas de Floresta Estacional Decidual e Floresta Estacional Semidecidual. As técnicas empregadas foram: coletas ativas com rede entomológica, armadilha de Malaise, bandejas amarelas (armadilha de Möericke) e coleta manual. Trezentos e sessenta e um indivíduos de Vespoidea foram capturados, representados por 107 espécies, em 59 gêneros, distribuídos nas seguintes famílias: Vespidae, Pompilidae, Mutillidae, Tiphiidae e Scoliidae. Vespidae foi o grupo mais freqüente. Pompilidae foi bem representado por um amplo conjunto de métodos de coleta, entretanto a maioria dos gêneros foi amostrada por uma técnica exclusiva. Scoliidae foi representado apenas por três indivíduos. As espécies Polybia (gr. occidentalis) e Agelaia multipicta (Vespidae) foram as mais abundantes dentre todas as vespas aculeadas amostradas. Sessenta e uma espécies capturadas estão representadas por apenas um único indivíduo (singletons). Estes dados acrescentam novos registros de distribuição de espécies de vespas para a região Centro-Oeste do Brasil de interesse biogeográfico.

This work aims at performing the inventory of predator wasps' fauna (Hymenoptera, Vespoidea) from Serra da Bodoquena National Park, Brazil, municipalities of Bodoquena, Bonito, Jardim and Porto Murtinho; with a discontinuous period of 42 days of collecting, between February/2007 to December/2008. Seven expeditions were undertaken in the field in areas of deciduous and semi deciduous seasonal forest. The techniques employed in faunal inventory were: active collection with entomological net, Malaise traps, Möericke traps and hand collecting. Three-hundred sixty one specimens in Vespoidea group were captured, represented by 107 species in 59 genera, distributed in the following families: Vespidae, Pompilidae, Mutillidae, Tiphiidae and Scoliidae. Vespidae were the most frequently sampled group. Pompilidae presented a wider range of records in relation to collection methods; however most genera are sampled by an exclusive technique. Scoliidae was only represented by tree individuals. Polybia (gr. occidentalis) and Agelaia multipicta (Vespidae) were the most abundant between all the Aculeata wasps sampled. Sixty one species was sampled with only one individual (singletons). This data input new records of distribution of wasp's species to Central Western Brazil with biogeographical interest.