Trap-nesting of solitary wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) in the Parque Estadual do Porto Ferreira, Porto Ferreira, SP, Brazil

The aim of this study is to provide information on the species composition of solitary wasp nesting and analyze seasonal abundance and the structure of nests that we will obtain for each species using the trap-nests in the Parque Estadual do Porto Ferreira over a 1-year period. We used 2 types of trap-nests: black cardboard tubes and bamboo canes. Of the 126 wasp nests obtained, 92 nests were built by 10 species (7 genera and 4 families). In the remaining 34 nests all immature wasps died, probably of many causes: natural enemies that parasitized the nest, fungi colonization of nests, and unknown causes. Each nest wasps consisted of 1 to 10 brood cells separated by mud partitions. Brood cells of the wasps were most commonly provisioned with spiders of the family Araneidae. Trypoxylon lactitarse and Auplopus sp.1 were the most frequently documented species in the trap-nests. Nesting were observed more frequently during the warm season and occupation peak occurred in January (32%). Natural enemies of wasps emerging from the nests were identified as belonging to the families of the order Hymenoptera: Chrysididae and Ichneumonidae.