Opportunistic Strategies for Capture and Storage of Prey of Two Species of Social Wasps of the Genus Polybia Lepeletier (Vespidae, Polistinae, Epiponini)

Authors

  • Kamylla Balbuena Michelutti Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul
  • Eva Ramona Pereira Soares Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados
  • Fabio Prezoto Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora
  • William Fernando Antonialli-Junior Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v64i1.1142

Keywords:

Foraging, Nectar Storage, Prey, Swarming Wasps

Abstract

The foraging activity in social wasps is complex behavior that involves the ability to locate and transport the resources necessary for the colony. The activity is opportunistic and generalist, sometimes adapting to the availability of the resources when the colonies are exposed to critical environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the opportunistic behavior of two species of wasps of the genus Polybia for the capture and storage of prey in the form of flights of winged. Five colonies of Polybia occidentalis (Olivier) and two colonies of Polybia paulista (L.) were collected. Six of them contained stored winged of termites, and one contained winged of ants. The results indicated that these two species practice an opportunistic foraging strategy and are able to store large quantities of protein resources in their colonies.

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Author Biographies

Kamylla Balbuena Michelutti, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul

Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental (LABECO)

Eva Ramona Pereira Soares, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados

Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental (LABECO)

Fabio Prezoto, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

Instituto de Ciências Biológicas

William Fernando Antonialli-Junior, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul

Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental (LABECO)

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Published

2017-05-30

How to Cite

Michelutti, K. B., Soares, E. R. P., Prezoto, F., & Antonialli-Junior, W. F. (2017). Opportunistic Strategies for Capture and Storage of Prey of Two Species of Social Wasps of the Genus Polybia Lepeletier (Vespidae, Polistinae, Epiponini). Sociobiology, 64(1), 105–110. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v64i1.1142

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Section

Research Article - Wasps

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