Orlando Tobias Silveira

Social wasps and bees captured in carrion traps in a rainforest in Brazil

Information is presented on social wasps and bees caught in carrion traps in ‘terra firme’ rainforest in Caxiuanã, 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.

Social wasps of two wetland ecosystems in brazilian Amazonia (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae)

In Brazilian Amazonia, 20 genera and more than 200 species of polistine wasps are recorded. Local faunas with 70 to 80 species are usually found in non floodable forest environments. However, a variety of wetlands exist in the region, the most expressive in surface area being varzea systems. In this paper, information is presented on polistines from two areas of wetlands in the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Amapa. These are reciprocally compared and also with nearby terra firme locations. Collecting methods consisted of active search for nests, handnetting and automatic trapping of individuals. Forty-six species of 15 genera were collected in Mamiraua, AM, most being widespread common wasps. However, five species deserve special mention in virtue of rarity and/or restricted distribution: Metapolybia rufata, Chartergellus nigerrimus, Chartergellus punctatior, Clypearia duckei, and Clypearia weyrauchi. In Regiao dos Lagos, AP, 31 species of 9 genera were collected, nearly all being common species with the exception of some Polistes, like P. goeldi and P. occipitalis. Even though less rich than vespid faunas from terra firme habitats, the Mamiraua fauna proved to be quite expressive considering limitations imposed by the hydrological regime. In Regiao dos Lagos, however, the very low diversity found was below the worst expectations. The virtual absence of otherwise common species in environments like tidal varzea forests along Araguari River is truly remarkable. The causes of low diversity are probably related to isolation and relative immaturity of the region, allied to strong degradation of forested habitats.

Phylogeny of wasps of the genus Mischocyttarus de Saussure (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae)

Phylogeny of wasps of the genus Mischocyttarus de Saussure (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae). A phylogenetic analysis is presented of subgenera and species-groups of Mischocyttarus de Saussure, the largest genus of social wasps. The analysis is based on 62 morphological and nest architecture characters, coded for 71 terminals representing much of the taxonomic diversity within the genus, plus three outgroup terminals representing other polistine tribes. The main conclusions about phylogenetic relationships within the genus are based on parsimony analysis under implied weights. Monophyly of Mischocyttarus is confirmed as well as that of most of the previously recognized subgenera: Mischocyttarus s. str., Clypeopolybia, Monogynoecus, Scytokeraia, Phi, Kappa, Megacanthopus and Omega sensu Richards (1978). Haplometrobius as conceived by Richards (1978) is not a monophyletic taxon, but some of its species-groups are monophyletic. The groups of M. artifex and M. cerberus are raised to subgenus level, and a new concept of Haplometrobius restricts it to the group of M. iheringi (the type species of this subgenus) in the sense of this work. The concept of subgenus Omega is widened to include the species-groups of M. surinamensis and M. prominulus. Besides the new subgeneric classification presented, limits and diagnoses of all species-groups of the subgenera Phi and Haplometrobius sensu Richards (1978) are discussed, and a new key for all subgenera and species-groups of Mischocyttarus is also presented.

Surveying neotropical social wasps: an evaluation of methods in the "Ferreira Penna" research station (ECFPn), in Caxiuanã, PA, Brazil (Hym., Vespidae, Polistinae)

O artigo apresenta e discute os metodos empregados e resultados de um levantamento das vespas sociais da Estacao Cientifica Ferreira Penna (ECFPn), em Caxiuana, PA, Brasil. Metodos tradicionais, como armadilhas de Malaise e a procura ativa por individuos e colonias de vespas em trilhas e pelas margens de rios, foram usados segundo um esquema de amostragem mais sistematizado do que e usual em tais levantamentos, com o fim de produzir dados mais facilmente analisaveis e comparaveis. Setenta e nove especies de 18 generos de Polistinae foram registradas num periodo de 52 dias descontinuos de trabalho de campo. Angiopolybia pallens, Polybia liliacea e algumas especies de Agelaia foram as mais frequentes. A procura ativa pelas vespas no interior da floresta e pelas margens de rios foi muito mais eficiente em respeito a descoberta de especies, do que as armadilhas de Malaise.

Avaliação ecológica rápida da fauna de vespas (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) do Parque Nacional da Serra do Divisor, Acre, Brasil

The Serra do Divisor National Park (PNSD), located at the northwest of Acre State, Amazonia, is considered an area of great biodiversity. The question of considering insects in conservation programs. Solitary and social wasps are important components of the terrestrial ecosystems due to their position in trophic webs. The present study aimed at making a rapid ecological assessment of the wasps from the PNSD in order to support the elaboration of a conservation and management plan for that park. The insects were sampled in 12 sites located in eight forest types by Malaise traps that operated in each for 24 hours, totaling 288 hours of sampling. The results on the families Chalcididae, Eucharitidae, Evaniidae, Mutillidae, Pompilidae, Crabronidae and Vespidae are presented here. On the whole, 366 wasps were collected representing 40 genera and 85 species. The genera Ephuta (Mutillidae), Trypoxylon (Crabronidae) and Conura (Chalcididae) were the most specious. The sites situated at the northern region of the PNSD, the intangible and primitive zones, were the most species rich. Some collected species were considered rare and about 65% of species were exclusive to only one site. This means that the samples have little faunal similarity.

Association among wasps' colonies, ants and birds in Central Amazonian

Some neotropical vespids are known for their association with other insects and vertebrate taxa. In the present study about the wasp diversity in the Ducke Reserve, Manaus, Brazil five active colonies and an abandoned one of Polybia rejecta, and one active colony of Synoeca virginea were found associated with ant nests of Azteca aff. chartifex (Formicidae). A single colony of Polybia rejecta was found beside nests of Cacicus cela (Passeriformes: Icteridae). These associations appear to be related both to protection of the wasps nests by the ants and the protection of the ants nests by the wasps, as well as to protection of the bird nests by the wasps. The wasps take advantage of the tolerance of the ants, nesting near their colonies to obtain protection, so escaping attack by other ant species that feed on the immature wasps. Birds in turn take advantage of protection by these wasps against potential predators. This work adds new data to the study of associations of wasp species found in Central Brazilian Amazon, with descriptions of observed behaviors and photographs of such associations.

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

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, Sao 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.

Social wasps of two Cerrado localities in the northeast of Maranhão state, Brazil (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae)

Social wasps of two Cerrado localities in the northeast of Maranhao state, Brazil (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae). Results are presented of a survey of social wasps from two savanna localities 30 km apart from each other in the northeastern part of the Brazilian state of Maranhao, Brazil: village of Bom Jesus (municipality of Urbano Santos) and village of Tabocas (municipality of Barreirinhas). Two hundred and twenty-seven nests of 31 species of 13 genera were found and mapped. Polybia rejecta was the species with the largest average density of colonies/ha in both areas. The similarity (Jaccards index) between the Tabocas and Bom Jesus faunas was 41.9%. Twenty-seven species of plants were utilized as nesting substrate. In Tabocas, Qualea parviflora Mart. (Vochysiaceae) trees were used as substrate by 30.3% of the wasp colonies. In Bom Jesus, the vast majority of colonies (27.9%) were found in a secondary vegetation type, the so-called carrasco, indicator of vegetation change. The number of social wasp species recorded in this study is similar to others obtained in several areas of Cerrado vegetation in Brazil. Nine species are new to Maranhao, and Mischocyttarus cerberus had its distribution confirmed, increasing to 58 the number of species known to occur in that state.

Local-scale spatial variation in diversity of social wasps in an Amazonian rain forest in Caxiuanã, Pará, Brazil (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae)

Polistine wasps are important in Neotropical ecosystems due to their ubiquity and diversity. Inventories have not adequately considered spatial attributes of collected specimens. Spatial data on biodiversity are important for study and mitigation of anthropogenic impacts over natural ecosystems and for protecting species. We described and analyzed local-scale spatial patterns of collecting records of wasp species, as well as spatial variation of diversity descriptors in a 2500-hectare area of an Amazon forest in Brazil. Rare species comprised the largest fraction of the fauna. Close range spatial effects were detected for most of the more common species, with clustering of presence-data at short distances. Larger spatial lag effects could also be identified in some species, constituting probably cases of exogenous autocorrelation and candidates for explanations based on environmental factors. In a few cases, significant or near significant correlations were found between five species (of Agelaia, Angiopolybia, and Mischocyttarus) and three studied environmental variables: distance to nearest stream, terrain altitude, and the type of forest canopy. However, association between these factors and biodiversity variables were generally low. When used as predictors of polistine richness in a linear multiple regression, only the coefficient for the forest canopy variable resulted significant. Some level of prediction of wasp diversity variables can be attained based on environmental variables, especially vegetation structure. Large-scale landscape and regional studies should be scheduled to address this issue.

Social wasp species of Mischocyttarus (Phi) related to M. alfkenii (Ducke) and M. paraguayensis Zikán (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae)

Social wasp species of Mischocyttarus (Phi) related to M. alfkenii (Ducke) and M. paraguayensis Zikan (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae). A revision of the taxonomic status and an identification key are presented for species of the genus Mischocyttarus related to M. alfkenii (Ducke) and M. paraguayensis Zikan. Seven new species are proposed in the alfkenii and basimacula groups (M. achagua sp. nov.; M. arawak sp. nov.; M. awa sp. nov.; M. embera sp. nov.; M. muisca sp. nov.; M. uniformis sp. nov.; M. waunan sp. nov.), with five new synonymies [M. mamirauae Raw = M. alfkenii (Ducke); M. alfkenii excrucians Richards = M. flavicornis nigricornis Zikan = M. flavicornis Zikan; M. basimacula superpictus Richards = M. basimacula (Cameron)]. Specific status is also newly recognized for M. trinitatis Richards. Two new species are described in the paraguayensis and bahiae group (M. suzannae sp. nov.; M. tayacaja sp. nov.), while fifteen new synonymies are proposed (M. aracatubaensis Zikan = M. araujoi Zikan = M. costalimai Zikan = M. gilvus Zikan = M. infrastrigatoides Zikan = M. infrastrigatus Zikan = M. infrastrigatus Zikan = M. ornatulus Zikan = M. riograndensis Richards = M. rivulorum Richards = M. schrottkyi Zikan = M. scitulus Zikan = M. similaris Zikan = M. similatus Zikan = M. paraguayensis Zikan). These numbers change the picture of diversity in these species groups, as partly found in Richardss revision, published in 1978, reflecting higher diversity in northern Andean areas than in the Brazilian Atlantic region.