Survey of the Hymenoptera Fauna in a "Caatinga" Area in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Abstract. The aim of this study was to carry out a survey of the fauna of the Hymenoptera families in an area of Caatinga in Mossoró, state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The samplings were carried out with Malaise traps, active between 6th of February and 6th of March, 2007 and between 13th March and 14th April, 2008. A total of 5,057 Hymenoptera, belonging to 12 superfamilies and 36 families, were collected. The most abundant superfamilies were: Chalcidoidea (1,206 specimens/23.85% of the total), Vespoidea (886/17.52%), Ichneumonoidea (837/16.55%) and Platygastroidea (801/15.84%) and the most abundant families were: Platygastridae (801/15.84%), Braconidae (616/12.18%), Pteromalidae (583/11.53%), Figitidae (454/8.98%), Pompilidae (444/8.78%) and Formicidae (268/5.30%). The data obtained allow us to affirm that the Caatinga encompasses substantial family richness of Hymenoptera and that renewed effort is necessary to sample its fauna in a more extensive way.

Análisis de esfuerzo de muestreo de himenópteros parasitoides en tres ambientes del Este uruguayo

“…De esta forma se podría reducir el período de muestreo de los doce a unos ocho meses, aproximadamente. Este razonamiento concuerda con los períodos de muestreo que se emplean en colectas asociadas a cultivos anuales, sitios específicos o artrópodos con períodos de mayor actividad, cuyos estudios abarcan solo de uno a pocos meses (Dorfey, et al, 2011;Lara, et al, 2015;Fernandes, et al, 2014;Fraser, et al, 2007;Perioto, et al, 2005) o cuando el objetivo es determinar composición, abundancia o frecuencias relativas comparativas entre distintos ambientes (Marchiori, 2014). Por el contrario, si el objetivo es caracterizar con la mayor precisión y fidelidad la composición de familias o especies de un sitio, aun a escalas locales (Sääksjärvi, et al, 2004) y sobre todo en ambientes donde, por sus condiciones, la riqueza de especies es intrínsecamente baja (Várkony y Roslin, 2013), es necesaria una considerable inversión en número de colectas, asumiendo los mayores costos que implica esta decisión.…”

Amiseginae and Cleptinae from northeastern Brazil, with the description of four new species (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae)

“…Most specimens were collected using malaise traps standing in the field for at least two consecutive months (Patu and Mossoró-RN), a whole year (Jequié-BA), and four consecutive years (Santa Teresinha-PB) (detailed descriptions of localities and sampling methods were provided in Lucena et al 2012;Zanella and Lucena 2014;Fernandes et al 2014Fernandes et al , 2019Guedes et al 2019). We also examined specimens housed in the following institutions: BME: Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis, California, USA (Lynn S. Kimsey; Steven Heydon); DZUP: Coleção Entomológica "Pe.…”

“…nov., see below), within the semiarid region. All specimens were collected in a Caatinga native vegetation fragment adjacent to a melon crop Cucumis melo L. (Cucurbitaceae) (Fernandes et al 2014).…”

Parasitoids collected in the Caatinga biome in Brazil

“…Fernandes et al 4 conducted a survey of the fauna of the Hymenoptera families in an area of Caatinga in Mossoró, state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil collected a total of 5,057 Hymenoptera, belonging to 12 superfamilies and 36 families. The most abundant superfamilies were: Chalcidoidea (1,206/23) 85% of the total), Vespoidea (886/17) 52%, Ichneumonoidea (837/16) 55%) and Platygastroidea (801/15) 84%.…”