Polybia Fasticiosuscula (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Foraging Activity Patterns

Prey identification expands our knowledge on social wasps and their interactions as predators of herbivorous insects. The objective was to characterize the Polybia fastidiosuscula Saussure (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) foraging pattern in Jul 2015. Polybia fastidiosuscula workers returning to the nest wer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Florida entomologist 2019-03, Vol.102 (1), p.264-265
Main Authors: Brügger, Bruno Pandelo, Cruz, Ricardo Alcántara-de la, Carvalho, Amélia Guimarães de, Soares, Marcus Alvarenga, Prezoto, Fábio, Zanuncio, José Cola
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activity patterns
Agricultural ecology
Agricultural pests
Agricultural practices
Agroecosystems
Alcohol
Analysis
Animal behavior
Animal feeding behavior
Araneae
Behavior
biological control
Body weight
Caterpillars
comportamento alimentar
controle biológico
Entomology
feeding behavior
Foraging
Foraging behavior
Hymenoptera
inimigo natural
Insects
Integrated pest management
Interactions
Lepidoptera
natural enemy
Nymphs
Orthoptera
Paper wasps
Pest control
Polybia fastidiosuscula
Predators
Preferences
Prey
Proteins
Sampling
SCIENTIFIC NOTES
social wasps
vespa social
Vespidae
Wasps
Weight
Workers (insect caste)
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Summary:Prey identification expands our knowledge on social wasps and their interactions as predators of herbivorous insects. The objective was to characterize the Polybia fastidiosuscula Saussure (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) foraging pattern in Jul 2015. Polybia fastidiosuscula workers returning to the nest were intercepted and captured with an entomological net at the Universidade Federal de Viçosa in Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Seven sampling sessions of 13 h each, from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM, were carried out, totaling 91 sampling h. The prey collected (182 insects) were Lepidoptera (caterpillars, 92.6%), Araneae (3.1%), Diptera (2.5%), and Orthoptera (nymphs, 1.8%). Mean (± SD) wasp weight was 17.4 ± 3.3 mg, and mean weight of prey transported was 5.2 ± 2.5 mg. A P. fastidiosuscula worker can carry a load of about 30% of their own body weight. The foraging preference, principally of lepidopteran caterpillars, suggests that P. fastidiosuscula has potential as a natural enemy in integrated pest management programs.
ISSN:0015-4040
1938-5102
DOI:10.1653/024.102.0150