Nesting behavior of Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) agamemnom Richards (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)

Abstract

Nesting behaviour is extremely diversified among solitary nesting sphecids. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe the nesting behaviour of Trypoxylon agamemnon and discuss the advantages of guarding behaviour of males. It was conducted in the Parque Municipal das Araucárias, Guarapuava (PR), Brazil from October/2003 to July/2007. To describe the behaviour of T. agamemnon and construct its ethogram, daily observations were made, totalling 410:19 hours observation. Although the males of T. agamemnon stand guard close to the entrance of the nests, we concluded that this behaviour is not ensuring the protection of nests against parasitoids and that, probably, this behaviour ensures them the paternity, but further studies with microsatellite markers will be necessary to confirm this hypothesis.Keywords: Crabronidae, Hymenoptera, life span, nesting behaviour, Trypoxyon. Comportameno de nidificação de

Gene variation and genetic differentiation among populations of the solitary mud dauber wasp Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) albitarse Fabricius 1804 (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae)

“…Based on these findings, the author proposed that this species has good dispersal capacity. Studies involving other species of the genus also suggest that these wasps have a high emigration rate ( Freeman, 1981 ; Molumby, 1997 ; Buschini and Bergamaschi, 2010 , 2014 ; Buschini and Donatti, 2012 ). However, evidence regarding the degree of dispersal in T. albitarse is not coherent with the inter-population genetic differentiation observed in the present investigation and the one by Peruquetti (2003) .…”

Sex ratio and parental investment in Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) agamemnon Richards (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae)

“…The female does not provision the cell unless a male is present. If she arrives and the male is not present, she begins discarding all the provisioned spiders (Buschini and Donatti, 2012). Although parental care is rare in some wasps, it is commonly observed in Trypoxylon, in which the males participate in activities in addition to nest-guarding (Coville and Coville, 1980;Brockmann and Grafen, 1989).…”

“…Another hypothesis suggested by Buschini and Bergamaschi (2010) to explain the strongly femalebiased sex ratio in T. opacum is that males live longer than females, and the sex ratio is therefore balanced in the field (1:1). However, Buschini and Donatti (2012) observed that both males and females in T. agamemnon are relatively long-lived, with a lifespan of over a year.…”

“…In addition to the male that guards each nest that is being built, satellite males often circle the area and mate with the females when the females return with spiders from the field. However, Buschini and Donatti (2012) observed that after the construction of the nest is completed, the female does not always remain with the same male. Satellite males frequently assume the role of nest-guarding, and the males that were guarding the nest assume the role of satellite males.…”

Specialisation in prey capture drives coexistence among sympatric spider‐hunting wasps

“…Females can build six to eight cells in a trap‐nest. When the female is foraging, the male guards the nest against potential predators and satellite males (Buschini et al , ; Buschini & Wolff, ; Buschini & Fajardo, ; Buschini & Donatti, ), but they are usually ineffective against parasitoids (M. L. T. Buschini, pers. obs.…”