Nesting Biology of Zeta Argillaceum (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) in Southern Florida, U.S.

Abstract

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First remarks on the nesting biology of Hypodynerus andeus (Packard) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) in the Azapa valley, northern Chile

“…Previous records indicated that other species of the genus nest on plant stems (Pérez D'Angello 1974, 1991. There are species of Eumeninae which attach their nests to human-built structures (Camillo 1999;Matthews & González 2004;Matthews & Matthews 2009). The utilization of this type of substrate becomes important for the establishment and nidification of potter wasps in areas of high human intervention, providing potential habitats for them.…”

“…Building this funnel-like structure around the entrance orifice of the cell plays an important role in the protection of the cell during the prey filling process carried out by the female (Matthews & Matthews 2009). This funnel-like structure can be relatively small sized when compared to the cell's size, such as in the case of H. andeus and Zeta argillaceum (Linnaeus, 1758) (Matthews & González 2004). In some cases this structure can reach sizes even larger than the cell itself, as in the Australian species A. ephippium (Matthews & Matthews 2009).…”

“…These preys are utilized as sources of food for the wasp's larva (Ittyeipe & Taffe 1982;Chiappa & Rojas 1991;Camillo 1999;Budrienè 2003;Boesi et al 2005;Buschini & Buss 2010). These active hunting wasps are considered to be important components for natural and anthropic ecosystems, as they interact with a wide range of organisms (Matthews & González 2004). Occurrence and abundance of potter wasps have been related to the availability of suitable substrates to build their nests.…”

“…On the other hand, some species are generalists, hunting larvae of different orders (Budrienè 2003). In general, nests built by potter wasps persist even after the adults or parasitoids have emerged, thus it is common to find spiders and others arthropods utilizing these empty cells as shelters (Pérez D'Angello 1968;Matthews & González 2004).…”

First host plant records for Iridopsis hausmanni Vargas (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) in the coastal valleys of northern Chile

“…On one hand, their most commonly acknowledged function is herbivory, because their abundance levels may be high among the external chewers of some plants (Bodner et al 2012). On the other hand, they may be also extremely important as prey for insectivorous organisms (Matthews & González 2004;Marconato et al 2008).…”