Use of fruit juice as a method for the collection of social wasps
Abstract
The ecological characteristics and adaptation of social Vespidae to artificial environments needs to be studied to evaluate the impact of these natural enemies on biotic communities and food webs. The community composition and efficiency of collection methods of social wasps were studied in 3 transects in an urban fragment of Atlantic Forest in the Municipal Lajinha Park in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Social wasps were captured by actively searching (visual observation) and with traps baited with fruit juices every mo for 1 yr. The diversity index of social wasps was higher with active searching than with trapping. Social wasps were more abundant in the rainy season. Forest fragments and urban areas constitute refuge sites for social wasps. Mischocyttarus sp. (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) was the most successful species in the anthropogenic environment studied.
Resumo
As características ecológicas e a adaptação dos Vespidae sociais aos ambientes criados pelo homem precisam ser estudadas para avaliar o impacto desses inimigos naturais nas comunidades bióticas e cadeias alimentares. A composição da comunidade e os métodos de coleta de vespas sociais foram estudados em três transectos em fragmento urbano de Mata Atlântica no Parque Municipal da Lajinha em Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Vespas sociais foram capturadas por busca ativa e armadilhas atrativas com sucos de frutas durante um ano. O índice de diversidade de vespas sociais foi maior com busca ativa que com armadilhas atrativas. Vespas sociais foram mais abundantes na estação chuvosa. A fragmentação e a urbanização constituem locais de refúgio para as vespas sociais e Mischocyttarus sp. (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) foi a espécie mais bem sucedida no ambiente antropogênico estudado.
Key Words: baited trap; social Hymenoptera; visual search
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