Nest Architecture, Colony Productivity, and Duration of Immature Stages in a Social Wasp,Mischocyttarus consimilis

Abstract

This study examined the nest architecture, colony productivity, and duration of the immature stages of the social wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis Zikáán (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). The study was carried out under field conditions. Nests of M. consimilis consist of a single uncovered comb, which is attached to the substratum by a single petiole. The data for the nest architecture showed a positive and significant correlation between the size of the comb and the diameter of the petiole, and also between the height and diameter of the cells. The nests were constructed on horizontal, vertical, and sloping substrata with no apparent preference for a specific orientation. The colonies produced 72.9 cells and 40.7 adults on average. The mean frequency of productive cells was 33.3%, and 19.4% of the cells were reused. The mean duration of the immature stages combined was 69.7 days and the egg, larval, and pupal stages had mean durations of 14.9, 36.0, and 18.8 days, respectively. The duration of each immature stage was significantly shorter in the warmhumid season, and the larval and pupal stages were shorter during the colony pre-emergence stage.

Distinct linear hydrocarbon profiles and chemical strategy of facultative parasitism among Mischocyttarus wasps

“…Greater overlap was found between M. consimilis and M. cerberus. These species also share similar morphological and behavioral characteristics (Giannotti, 1998(Giannotti, , 1999Silva and Noda, 2000;Togni and Giannotti, 2007Montagna et al, 2009Montagna et al, , 2010Filho Costa et al, 2011;Torres et al, 2011). N-nonacosane (C 29 ) and ntriacontane (C 30 ), in the sequence, identified the M. consimilis and M. cerberus species because these compounds are found in high concentrations in these species (see Table 1).…”

“…The biological aspects of M. cerberus Richards (1940) have been described by Giannotti (1998Giannotti ( , 1999, Silva and Noda (2000), Filho Costa et al (2011), and Togni and Giannotti (2007. Females from these species have similar nests and morphologies, differing only in the coloration pattern of the abdomen (Giannotti, 1999;Montagna et al, 2010). The morphological aspects of M. latior females differ from those of M. consimilis and M. cerberus (Garcete-Barrett, 2001;Henrique-Simões et al, 2011).…”

“…consimilis Zikán 1949 is a Neotropical wasp that has been studied recently (Montagna et al, 2009(Montagna et al, , 2010Torres et al, 2011). The biological aspects of M. cerberus Richards (1940) have been described by Giannotti (1998Giannotti ( , 1999, Silva and Noda (2000), Filho Costa et al (2011), and Togni and Giannotti (2007.…”

First report of interspecific facultative social parasitism in the paper wasp genus Mischocyttarus Saussure (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

“…Colonies of M. consimilis are generally founded by a single female, and nests consist of one uncovered comb, which is attached to the substratum by a single centralized petiole (Fig. 1B) (Montagna et al 2010;Torres et al 2011). Individuals of M. consimilis closely resemble individuals of M. cerberus in their body size and color pattern (Fig.…”

“…Giannotti (1999) described an elongated comb and peripheral petiole for the nest of M. cerberus, and Montagna et al (2010) described an elliptical comb and centralized petiole for the nest of M. consimilis. Old parasitized nests had the peripheral petiole typical of the host species; however, the combs were elliptical, similar to those constructed by the invader species (Fig.…”