Nest camouflage records on five social wasp species (Vespidae, Polistinae) from southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Social insects use different strategies to defend their colonies, including camouflage. In order to expand knowledge, regarding the strategy of camouflage in social wasps, information is presented on the camouflage pattern of the species: Parachartergus smithii (De Saussure), Parachartergus wagneri Du Buysson, Chartergellus communis Richards, Metapolybia cingulata (Fabricius) and Mischocyttarus anthracinus Richards.These species are uncommon in inventory studies in Brazil. Records occur in different Conservation Units, between 2011 and 2019, in the Minas Gerais State, Brazil Southeastern. Camouflage seems to be the main defense strategy for these species, due to the color and shape of their nests in line with the substrate, as well as their docile behavior. The exception is Metapolybia cingulata, which in addition to camouflage shows aggressive behavior in some situations, which suggests the use of different strategies in the colony defense.

Nest camouflage in Metapolybia cingulata and nesting and colony defensive behavior in Metapolybia docilis (Vespidae: Polistinae) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

“…The color of Metapolybia nests, similar to the substrate, seems to be related to homochromy camouflage, since in all the records made, there is a similarity between the color of the nest and the substrate (Fig 1), whether in a natural environment, using plant substrates, such as tree trunks or palm tree stems, and in anthropic environments, nesting on walls and wooden structures of houses, as already reported and suggested for species of the genera Mischocyttarus and Parachartergus (Souza et al, 2020), Metapolybia cingulata (Souza et al, 2020) and Chartergellus communis Richards, 1978(Silva et al, 2022, which suggests that it constitutes a defense mechanism against visual predators, such as birds.…”

“…The absence of attack with only bluff behavior characterizes M. docilis as docile, increasing the importance of nest camouflage for this species (Chavarría-Pizzarro & West-Eberhard, 2010). However, the absence of sting attempts by this wasp differs from that reported for M. cingulata (Souza et al, 2020), showing that the colony defense behavior by Metapolybia species involves camouflage and, also, some degree of aggressiveness (Forsyth, 1981), as reported for Synoeca wasps (Chavarría-Pizarro & West-Eberhard, 2010).…”

“…Defense strategies of Metapolybia species include camouflage by homochromy and colony homotypy on tree trunks (Somavilla et al, 2012;Souza et al, 2020) and aggressive behavior in eventual disturbances, as reported for Metapolybia cingulata (Fabricius, 1804;Souza et al, 2020). The objective of this study was to present new data on nesting and colony defense in Neotropical social wasps Metapolybia cingulata (Fabricius, 1804) and Metapolybia docilis (Richards, 1978) Behavioral aspects of one colony of Metapolybia docilis were observed and recorded in the State Park of Iguaçu using the ad libitum method (Del-Claro, 2010) for 50 minutes divided into 10-minute sessions with two at 9:30 a.m., two at 5:00 p.m. and one at 1:00 p.m. on January 08th, 2022.…”

Chartergellus communis (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): nesting and nest camouflage in different phytophysiognomies in the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais, Brazil

“…and, in all reported cases, with similarities between the color of their nest (Figure 1A and D). The choice of nesting sites may be related to the strategy of protecting the colony by camouflage (Chavarría-Pizarro and West-Eberhard, 2010;Souza et al, 2020c). The location of all colonies recorded in the present study of C. communis up to 10 to 20 meters from water courses, suggest the importance of this resource for the nesting of this wasp that uses saliva to mix cellulose pulp and also for cooling its colonies, larvae and adults.…”

Nidificação de Parachartergus pseudapicalis Willink em substrato vegetal (Hymenoptera, Polistinae)

“…), Salix humboldtiana Willd., Hymenaea courbaril L. e do gênero Celtis por Parachartergus fraternus (Griboldo), Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) por Parachartergus smithii (Saussure) (SOUZA et al, 2014;FRANCISCO et al, 2018;SOUZA et al, 2020c). Ainda quanto à aparente inexistência de um critério para seleção do local do ninho, diferentemente do que ocorre com espécies mais seletivas (veja CORBARA et al, 2009), não há indício aparente de camuflagem ou qualquer outra estratégia de defesa diretamente relacionada ao substrato.…”