Diversity of social wasps in the campus of the "Universidade Federal de Vicosa" in Vicosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Abstract

Social wasps can be used as ecological indicators. However, the diversity of species of this group in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, is poorly studied, especially in anthropized environments. The objective was to study diversity of these insects in the campus of the "Universidade Federal de Vicosa" in Vicosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, from May to June 2011 with two methodologies (attractive traps and active search). Eight hundred and eighty-nine individuals of social wasps of 10 genera and 25 species were collected. The high species richness found can be explained by the diverse environment of the area studied with greater availability of microhabitats, greater protection against predators, and high availability and diversity of food and substrates for nesting which may favor the coexistence of a greater number of species. In addition, combined use of two collecting methodologies provided a greater diversity of wasps captured.