Trap-nest occupation by solitary wasps and bees (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) in a forest urban remanent

• Autor(a) principal: Loyola,Rafael D.
• Data de Publicação: 2006
• Outros Autores: Martins,Rogério P.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Neotropical entomology (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-566X2006000100006
• topic: Nesting behavior; mortality; parasitism; Trypoxylon lactitarse; Auplopus militaris

Temporal variation of solitary wasps and bees, nesting frequency, mortality, and parasitism were recorded from a remanent forest in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Wasps and bees were collected in trap-nests placed in areas with 25, 100, and 400 m², from February to November 2004. The 137 trap-nests collected contained 11 species of wasps and bees. Wasps occupied most nests (75%). Occupation peaks occurred in March (25%) and September (26%); in June, the lowest occupation (2%) was observed. Except for Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) lactitarse Saussure, no significant correlation was found between number of occupied nests, and temperature and rainfall means. In the nests, 48% of the immature specimens died; 13% of the nests were parasitized. Total death and parasitism rates of wasps and bees differed significantly.