In environments undergoing constant transformation due to human action, such as deforestation and urbanization, the emergence of pests has become a challenge for agriculture and human welfare. In Brazil, over a thousand tonnes of pesticides are used annually, causing serious environmental damage such as the decline of insect populations. It is necessary to search for control alternatives in order to reduce the environmental impact caused by insecticides. This review aims to describe the use of social wasps as agents of biological control, focusing on the perspectives of their use in small farms and urban gardens, and to discuss the benefits of using this method. Studies have shown that 90–95% of the prey captured by wasps in small crops is made of leaf-eating caterpillars. In urban gardens, wasps diversify their prey, among which potential disease vectors, such as dipterans, stand out. We outline techniques for managing social wasp colonies in small farm and urban garden settings, including the use of artificial shelters. Among the advantages of using wasps as control agents, we highlight the practicality of the method, the low operational cost, the absence of prey resistance and the decrease of the use of insecticides.

The first records of social wasps in Brazil were made during expeditions that focused on the taxonomy and distribution of the species in the country. From the 70s there was a change in the essence of publications on the diversity of social wasps, which began to be directed to a specific place, which over the years have incorporated the use of sampling methodologies and analysis of results through ecological indexes. Since then, the neotropical social wasps have gained more prominence because of the recognition that act decisively in the trophic balance of ecosystems, thus increasing interest in research on these insects. So, our aim was to conduct a detailed analysis of published studies diversity of social wasps in Brazil over the past 33 years, aimed at increasing knowledge about the history of these works. For the literature review criteria were adopted: keywords with the matter and publications indexed in databases within the defined period. We found 78 publications, with the majority (70.52%) in scientific journals. From the year 2005, there was a regularly featured in publications with the years 2010, 2012 and 2014 as the most productive and a concentration of studies in BA, MG and SP states. Were used 11 collection methods, however there no a pattern of time or collection methodology, highlighting the Search-Active methods and Attractive Trap. The contribution of this analysis is to extend the current status of knowledge of social wasps with research as well as guide and encourage future studies to places unexplored.

Social insects are well known for their aggressive (stinging) responses to a nest disturbance. Still, colonies are attacked due to the high-protein brood cached in their nests. Social wasps have evolved a variety of defense mechanisms to exclude predators, including nest construction and coordinated stinging response. Which predatory pressures have shaped the defensive strategies displayed by social wasps to protect their colonies? We reviewed the literature and explored social media to compare direct and indirect (claims and inferences) evidence of predators attacking individuals and colonies of wasps. Individual foraging wasps are predominantly preyed upon by birds and other arthropods, whereas predators on wasp brood vary across subfamilies of Vespidae. Polistinae wasps are predominantly preyed upon by ants and Passeriformes birds, whereas Vespinae are predominantly preyed upon by badgers, bears, and hawks. Ants and hornets are the primary predators of Stenogastrinae colonies. The probability of predation by these five main Orders of predators varies across continents. However, biogeographical variation in prey–predator trends was best predicted by climate (temperate vs. tropical). In social wasps’ evolutionary history, when colonies were small, predation pressure likely came from small mammals, lizards, or birds. As colonies evolved larger size and larger rewards for predators, the increased predation pressure likely selected for more effective defensive responses. Today, primary predators of large wasp colonies seem to be highly adapted to resist or avoid aggressive nest defense, such as large birds and mammals (which were not yet present when eusociality evolved in wasps), and ants.

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