Community of social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in areas of Semideciduous Seasonal Montane Forest

Abstract

The composition of the fauna of social wasps in two areas of Semideciduous Seasonal Montane Forest in Southeastern Brazil was investigated. The collections were conducted between January 2011 and February 2013 with the use of two methodologies: bait traps and active collecting. Thirty-four species were recorded, distributed in 11 genera, namely, Polybia Lepeletier represented by 11 species (31%), followed by Polistes Latreille and Mischocyttarus de Saussure, both with seven species (20%); the other genera were represented only by one or two species. Three new records were done for Minas Gerais: Mischocyttarus consimilis Zikán, Mischocyttarus ignotus Zikán and Mischocyttarus paraguayensis Zikán. The similarity of the fauna of social wasps of the different studies conducted in Minas Gerais presented negative and significant correlation with the distance among the areas (r2=0.1488, p= 0.02).

Keywords

• Biological control
• Coffee Plantation
• Polistinae
• biodiversity