Association among wasps' colonies, ants and birds in Central Amazonian

Abstract

Some neotropical vespids are known for their association with other insects and vertebrate taxa. In the present study about the wasp diversity in the Ducke Reserve, Manaus, Brazil five active colonies and an abandoned one of Polybia rejecta, and one active colony of Synoeca virginea were found associated with ant nests of Azteca aff. chartifex (Formicidae). A single colony of Polybia rejecta was found beside nests of Cacicus cela (Passeriformes: Icteridae). These associations appear to be related both to protection of the wasps nests by the ants and the protection of the ants nests by the wasps, as well as to protection of the bird nests by the wasps. The wasps take advantage of the tolerance of the ants, nesting near their colonies to obtain protection, so escaping attack by other ant species that feed on the immature wasps. Birds in turn take advantage of protection by these wasps against potential predators. This work adds new data to the study of associations of wasp species found in Central Brazilian Amazon, with descriptions of observed behaviors and photographs of such associations. Resumo: Alguns vespídeos neotropicais são conhecidos por realizarem associações com outros táxons de insetos e vertebrados. Neste estudo sobre diversidade de vespas na Reserva Ducke, Manaus, Brasil foram localizadas cinco colônias ativas e uma abandonada de Polybia rejecta e uma colônia ativa de Synoeca virginea todas associadas aos ninhos de Azteca aff. chartifex (Formicidae). Uma única colônia de Polybia rejecta foi localizada ao lado de ninhos de Cacicus cela (Passeriformes: Icteridae). Essas associações parecem estar relacionadas tanto à proteção dada pelas formigas aos ninhos de vespas e vice-versa, quanto à proteção dada pelas vespas aos ninhos de pássaros. As vespas usam a tolerância das formigas e nidificam próximo às suas colônias para obtenção de proteção contra formigas predadoras que se alimentam das formas imaturas das vespas. Por outro lado, os pássaros podem usar a proteção das vespas contra possíveis predadores. Os comportamentos observados foram descritos e fotos destas associações foram feitas; este trabalho acrescenta novos dados ao estudo das associações realizadas por espécies de vespas encontradas na Amazônia Central brasileira.

Effects of forest fragmentation on community patterns of social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Central Amazon

“…This species is among the social wasps that benefit from nesting associations with ants from the genus Azteca (Herre et al 1986;Corbara et al 2009;Somavilla et al 2013;Souza et al 2013). Being the only species whose abundance increased in the fragment (44 to 187), our results suggest that P. rejecta might benefit, or even disrupt, ecological patterns and colonise disturbed sites where formerly dominant species were established.…”

Nidification of Polybia rejecta (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) associated to Azteca chartifex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a fragment of Atlantic Forest, in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil

“…In the Brazilian Amazon also no record of the association between social wasps Polybia rejecta and Synoeca virginea (Fabricius, 1804) and the ant Azteca chartifex (Somavilla et al 2013).…”

Social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) from two National Parks of the Caatinga Biome, in Brazil

“…One colony of the wasp P. rejecta was found associated with the nest of the ant Azteca sp. in the Sete Cidades National Park, this association was only registered for the Brazilian Amazon (Somavilla et al, 2013) and in the transition area of the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga in Rio Grande do Norte (Virgínio et al, 2015), probably this association is more common.…”