Mutillidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) do estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Mutillidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Mutillid wasps are parasitoids of mature larvae or pre-pupae of other insects, especially other aculeate Hymenoptera. They are characterized by a strong sexual dimorphism: all females are wingless, while males of most species have wings. The family comprises about 4,200 species and their greatest diversity occurs in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Despite the size of the family in the Neotropical Region (about 1,500 species, 560 in Brazil), surveys of the Mutillidae fauna are scarce. The purpose of this work is to present an updated list of Mutillidae species recorded for the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, based on literature, museum records and new data. A total of 114 species (including 22 morphospecies) distributed in 23 genera, three tribes and two subfamilies were recorded. The richest genera were Traumatomutilla André, 1901 (36 species), Timulla Ashmead, 1899 (14 spp.), Ephuta Say, 1836 (11 spp.) and Hoplomutilla Ashmead, 1899 (10 spp.).

Record of bees and wasps (Insecta: Hymenoptera) during the dry season in a floodplain in the South Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

“…Although the diversity of wasps is certainly higher and more sampled in the present study, the number of bee species known to Mato Grosso do Sul indicates that this group is best studied at this moment (Auko & silvestre 2013;Moure et al 2013;Auko et al 2017;liMA & silvestre 2017;luz et al 2017;shiMbori et al 2017;trAd & silvestre 2017).…”

“…The current knowledge of Hymenoptera in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul comprises about 386 species (260 nominal) in 107 genera of bees (Moure et al 2013;liMA & silvestre 2017), and at least 420 species in 286 genera of wasps (Auko & silvestre 2013;Auko et al 2017;luz et al 2017;shiMbori et al 2017;trAd & silvestre 2017). However, many of these records are generic identifications, and some of these are outside the Pantanal biome.…”

Are rare velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) to feed on extrafloral nectar?

“…However, what is precisely the feeding behavior of adult mutillids? In a recent paper on the Brazilian Mutillidae, Luz et al (2017) recorded 114 species from Mato Grosso do Sul without any comment about adult feeding habits. Brothers (1972) pointed out that males generally fly and feed on nectar whereas females run and may feed on adults or immatures of the host in addition to nectar or honeydew from hemipterans.…”

First record of Scolia rufiventris Fabricius, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae) from Pantanal, Brazil

“…However, few records are associated with a low number of inventories and researchers working in field. For Hymenoptera, in recent years several records of species of wasps (Luz et al 2017;Aranda 2019) (Araújo et al 2017). This shows the need for efforts for knowledge of entomofauna to help to clarify aspects of biogeography and diversity patterns in the Brazilian Pantanal.…”