On the nesting biology of eumenine wasps yet again: Minixi brasilianum (de Saussure) is a builder and a renter… at the same time! (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae)

First evidence of wasp brood development inside active nests of a termite with the description of a previously unknown potter wasp species

“…By itself, the wasp's strategy, characterized by the modification of termite nest's galleries into brood cells, constitutes a novel and uncommon form of nesting among potter wasps. While this behavior is seemingly a variant between the renter and digger types previously described (Iwata, 1976;Maindron, 1882), such a plasticity is in line with descriptions of other species belonging to Eumeninae (e.g., Cooper, 1979;Hermes et al, 2015;Krombein, 1979). To the best of our knowledge, this study is also the first to report wasp brood development occurring inside active termite colonies.…”

“…The nesting behaviors exhibited by potter wasps have been traditionally classified into three types: (i) excavators, where females dig directly into dry substrate and moisten it with regurgitated liquid during excavation; (ii) renters, where females use pre‐existing cavities; and (iii) builders, where females collect dry earth and mix it up with regurgitated liquid to make mud cells (Cowan, 1991; Iwata, 1976; Maindron, 1882). However, potter wasp species present plasticity regarding these nesting strategies (Cooper, 1979; Krombein, 1979), and nest architecture may vary as well (e.g., Hermes et al., 2015). Additionally, some species make use of vegetal matter during nest building, either incorporating leaf particles to provide camouflage to nest (Hermes et al., 2013) or using plant material in cell construction itself as presented by some zethines (Bohart & Stange, 1965; Claude‐Joseph, 1930; van der Vecht, 1981; van der Vecht & Fischer, 1972).…”

“…Potter wasps (Vespidae: Eumeninae), known for their striking ability to shape clay during nest building, have been reported nesting in a variety of substrates (Cowan, 1991; Garcete‐Barrett & Hermes, 2013; Hermes et al., 2015), including decaying nests of termites abandoned by the builder species (Batra, 1979). Curiously, to date, there is no evidence of nesting by wasp species inside active colonies of termites.…”

A study on habitats and behavioral characteristics of hornet wasp (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Vespa orientalis), an important medical-health pest.

“…They could be called the builders, occupiers or tenants of the nest. Around the newly cleaned entrance of the nest related to hornet wasps, the embankment or the one-way and very irregular tumulus is observed .Their nest entrance ranges from 3-8 cm on farmlands and their tumulus is different from that of other nest-builder animals [37][38][39]. The size of tumulus grains ranged from 3-12 mm that was estimated between 5000-7000 that indicated the activity of a large population of these wasps inside the nest.…”

New distributional and biological data for three species of Stenodynerus (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) from Panama

“…An overview of eumenine nesting biology recognized three general categories: excavators, renters, and builders (Iwata 1976). The application of this system for differentiating species, genera, and tribes has been challenged by the polymorphic behavioral plasticity of some genera, such as Hypodynerus de Saussure, 1855, of which species can be either builders or renters (Joseph 1924(Joseph , 1930, Ancistroceroides de Saussure, 1855, which can be either renters or excavators (Joseph 1924(Joseph , 1930Evans and Matthews 1974), Pachodynerus de Saussure, 1870, which practice all three categories (Willink and Roig-Alsina 1998), or Minixi Soika, 1978(Hermes et al 2015, which are normally builders (common in other Eumenini) but which occasionally behaves as a renter.…”