Survey of preys captured and used by Polybia platycephala (Richards) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Epiponini)

As vespas sociais são predadoras de várias espécies de insetos e, portanto, o estudo de suas presas pode revelar seu potencial para programas de controle biológico de pragas. Durante o período de setembro de 2000 a janeiro de 2002, foram realizadas 70h de coleta de presas capturadas em doze ninhos de Polybia platycephala Richards, localizados em áreas urbanas do município de Juiz de Fora, MG. As presas capturadas por P. platycephala compreenderam cinco ordens de insetos: Diptera (33,4%), Lepidoptera (28,6%), Hemiptera (12,0%), Hymenoptera (9,4%) e Coleoptera (7,2%). O peso médio da carga protéica transportada pelas vespas foi 1,9 ±1,6 mg (n = 34, 0,3 - 6,2 mg), e a taxa média de proteína transportada por dia foi 22,8 mg. de acordo com os resultados, pode-se estimar a captura de 4.380 presas por ano por uma única colônia de P. platycephala. Desta forma, a espécie pode ser utilizada em programas de manejo em ambientes urbanos contribuindo para o controle de insetos pragas como larvas de pernilongos, lagartas desfolhadoras de plantas de jardins, pulgões e formas aladas de formigas.

Necrophagy by the social wasp Agelaia pallipes (Hymenoptera : Vespidae, Epiponini): Possible forensic implications

The occurrence of 62 specimens of Agelaia pallipes caught in carrion traps using three types of baits (fish, cow liver and poultry viscera) in three different types of environments (rural, urban and forest area) in seven municipalities in Southeastern Brazil is reported here. This specific necrophagic behavior is discussed, since investigations concerning carrion wasps are scant in literature.

Myotoxic effects of mastoparan from Polybia paulista (Hymenoptera, Epiponini) wasp venom in mice skeletal muscle

In a previous study, we showed that the Polybia paulista wasp venom causes strong myonecrosis. This study was undertaken to characterize the myotoxic potency of mastoparan (Polybia-MPII) isolated from venom (0.25 mu g/mu l) and injected in the tibial anterior (TA) muscle (i.m.) of Balb/c mice. The time course of the changes was followed at muscle degenerative (3 and 24 h) and regenerative (3, 7, and 21 days) periods (n = 6) after injection and compared to matched controls by calculation of the percentage of cross-sectional area affected and determination of creatine kinase (CK) activity (n = 10). The results showed that although NIP was strongly myotoxic, its capacity for regeneration was maintained high. Since the extent of tissue damage was not correlated with the CK serum levels, which remained very low, we raised the hypothesis that the enzyme underwent denaturation by the peptide. Evidence suggested that MP induced the death of TA fibers by necrosis and apoptosis and had the sarcolemma as its primordial target. Given its amphiphilic polycationic nature and based on the vast spectrum of functions attributed to the peptide, we suggest that MP interaction with cell membrane impaired the phosphorylation of dystrophin essential for sarcolemma mechanical stability, and disturbed Ca2+ mobilization with obvious implications on sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial functioning. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Morphological caste differences in the neotropical swarm-founding polistine wasp, Brachygastra lecheguana (Hymenoptera : Vespidae, Polistinae, Epiponini)

Morphological caste differences and ovary conditions were analyzed in colony of Brachygastra lecheguana. The results indicate the presence of individuals with ovary development but uninseminated (intermediates). In addition, these females were similar in morphology to workers, suggesting that, in this case, intermediates are ovary-developed workers. Queens were morphologically larger than workers and intermediates in some characters and smaller in others. Multivariate analysis showed that queens were highly distinct. These results indicate that castes are pre-imaginally determined in B. lecheguana.

Overview of Caste Differentiation in the Polistinae, Emphasizing the Neotropical Swarm-Founding Polistinae (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Epiponini)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Caste Asymmetries in the Neotropical Swarm-Founding Wasp Polybia (Trychothorax) ignobilis (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Epiponini)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Cladistic analysis of Charterginus Fox, 1898 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Epiponini). A neotropical genus of social wasps

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

MORPHOLOGICAL CASTE DIFFERENCES IN POLYBIA AEQUATORIALIS (HYMENOPTERA: VESPIDAE: POLISTINAE: EPIPONINI), A SOCIAL WASP of THE HIGHLANDS of COSTA RICA

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS of SYNOECA DE SAUSSURE, 1852, A NEOTROPICAL GENUS of SOCIAL WASPS (HYMENOPTERA: VESPIDAE: EPIPONINI)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Morphological studies on castes of Protopolybia chartergoides (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Epiponini) observed in colonies during male production stage

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Morphological and physiological variation between queens and workers of Protonectarina sylveirae (de Saussure) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Epiponini)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Phylogenetic analysis of the neotropical pseudopolybia de saussure, 1863, with description of the male genitalia of pseudopolybia vespiceps (Hymenoptera : Vespidae, epiponini)

The male genitalia of Pseudopolybia vespiceps are described and compared to congeners. Characters of the male genitalia are combined with morphological characters of the females and nests and used in a phylogenetic analysis. The single cladogram resulting supports monophyly of the genus Pseudopolybia and interrelationships among the species as: P. langi + (P. difficilis + (P. compressa + P. vespiceps)). A new, illustrated identification key is presented.

Caste flexibility and variation according to the colony cycle in the swarm-founding wasp, Parachartergus fraternus (Gribodo) (Hymenoptera : Vespidae : Epiponini)

Differences between castes and related aspects in Parachartegus fraternus (Gribodo) have been studied in various stages of the colony cycle. Five colonies from three colony development stages (namely, pre-emergence, worker-producing and male-producing) were analyzed. The main results were: irrespective of colony age, castes were always morphologically indistinguishable; non-inseminated ovary-developed females were found in four colonies; because differences of castes were physiological rather than morphological, castes are evidently post-imaginally determined and this is probably taking place according to the colony conditions. These findings support the occurrence of caste totipotency in Parachartergus fraternus.

Evolution of caste in neotropical swarm-founding wasps (Hymenoptera : Vespidae; Epiponini)

Reproductive castes are compared in species of swarming wasps representing all currently recognized genera of Epiponini (Polistinae). New morphometric data for nine measures of body parts and ovarian data are presented for 13 species. These are integrated with all similarly conducted available studies, giving a total of 30 species. Analysis reveals several syndromes relating reproductive and nonreproductive individuals: no meaningful distinction, physiological differences only, reproductives larger than nonreproductives with intermediate individuals present, reproductives different in shape from nonreproductives with no intermediates, and reproductives smaller in some aspects than nonreproductives. Distribution of these syndromes among species is consistent with phylogenetic relationships derived from other data. Optimizing these syndromes on the cladogram indicates that the basal condition of Epiponini is a casteless society that is not comparable to the primitively social genus Polistes where dominant queens control reproduction. Castes originate several times in Epiponini, with different results in different lineages. The best documented evolutionary sequence passes from casteless societies, to those with reproductives larger, to those with reproductives differing in shape from nonreproductives, to those with reproductives smaller in some measures. This sequence is consistent with Wheeler's theory of the origin of caste through developmental switches, and represents the most thorough test of that theory to date.

Morphological caste differences and non-sterility of workers in Brachygastra augusti (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Epiponini), a neotropical swarm-founding wasp

Morphological caste differences and ovary conditions were analyzed in four colonies of Brachygastra augusti collected in different stages of the colony cycle. Differences between castes are distinct suggesting pre-imaginal determination. Many intermediates (non-inseminated ovary-developed females) were found. Because these intermediate females were morphologically similar to workers, it is suggested that they are young ovary-developed workers. Because there is a more evident overlap between queens and workers in the colony in pre-emergence of workers stage, and in three colonies in latter stages, especially in worker-production colonies, it is suggested that smaller queens are probably less viable than larger queens as observed in previously studied epiponines.