Diversidade de vespas sociais em um fragmento urbano

Abstract

Survey studies of species are important for the understanding of natural resources and useful information about the ecological characteristics of a particular region. Therefore the present study aims to increase knowledge about the structure and composition of the social wasp community in three transects , verify the efficiency of the collection methods used during the hot / humid and cold / dry periods in the Lajinha Municipal Park . The study was conducted from September 2012 to August 2013. The area is located in the Lajinha of Juiz de Fora (43 ° 22'4 s 21 ° 47'31 "ew) Municipal Park, Minas Gerais . To catch the wasps were performed: active pursuits on existing trails and in the forest interior and attractive traps containing industrial natural guava juice, passion fruit and water (control), being distributed in three straight transects stayed in the area for five days. 384 individuals of social wasps, distributed in eight genera and 23 species were collected. The active search method, it was possible to collect 18 species, followed by attractive trap guava juice (16 species) and attractive trap of passion (10 species). The species with the highest constancy was recorded Mischocyttarus sp with 64.33 %. Transect transects 1 and 3 presented the highest richness and abundance, but the T 1 showed higher diversity index H '= 1.12. The T1 showed greater similarity to the T 2, T 3 being the least similar among transects, this result was due to a greater number of individuals captured of social wasps, which may be related to the higher light intensity in this environment because they have a location more open compared with the other transects (T1 and T2) and because it is closer than urbanized environment. The study confirmed that is greater richness and abundance of social wasps in the dry period in the rainy season associated with increased plant biomass apparel, and a greater availability of food resources such as nectar and prey. Regarding methodology, we confirmed its efficiency; however the best way to get satisfactory results from surveys of social wasps is to use a consortium of methodologies.