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Diversity and host–parasite interactions of cavity-nesting Hymenoptera communities in the Brazilian Savannah

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Abstract

Cavity-nesting bees and wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) can be good models for studies on ecology, life history, and environmental changes, especially in ecosystem ‘hotspots’ such as the threatened Brazilian Savannah biome. We aim to study the diversity and interaction networks of cavity-nesting wasps and bees as well as their natural enemies in two physiognomies of the Brazilian savannah: woody savannah and seasonal semideciduous forest. Fieldwork was performed in the Uberlândia region, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, from March 2009 to April 2010. Trap-nests made of bamboo canes and black cardboard tubes of two different sizes were set in one sampling station installed in two areas of each vegetal physiognomy. A total of 857 nests of 34 cavity-nesting wasp and bee species were collected; 302 in the semideciduous forest and 555 in the woody savannah areas. The community sampled in the four areas was characterised by few abundant species and several rare species. The alpha diversity was significantly different between the areas, which also presented a low degree of similarity. The interaction network of the community showed a modular pattern with high specialisation degrees, with almost all sampled natural enemy species attacking one host species. The data presented herein demonstrate, at a small regional scale, the importance of both woody savannah and seasonal semideciduous forest areas to maintain a high beta diversity of cavity-nesting bees and wasps and their natural enemies in the Brazilian savannah.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Daercio Lucena (USP) (Chrysididae), Pedro Bartholomay (INPA) and Kevin Williams (CDFA) (Mutillidae), Paula Riccardi and Catia Mello-Patiu (MNRJ) (Sarcophagidae), Cecília Waichert (UFES) (Priochilus), Alexandre Aguiar (UFES) (Ichneumonidae), and Marcel Hermes (UFLA) and Rogério Lopes (Unesp) (part of Eumeninae) for identifying some of the sampled species; the staff of the studied sites for assistance and allowing fieldwork; ‘Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – CAPES’ for providing PNPD scholarships to the first and fourth authors; ‘Programa Nacional de Cooperação Acadêmica - PROCAD’ (Proc. 158/2007) and ‘Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientíico e Tecnológico – CNPq (PELD/TMSG)’ for the financial support. SC Augusto is grateful to CNPq for providing a research fellowship.

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  1. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto - FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo-USP, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14040-901, Brazil

    Léo Correia da Rocha-Filho & Diego Moure-Oliveira

  2. Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38405-302, Brazil

    Sharita de Miranda Carvalho & Solange Cristina Augusto

  3. Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, 28013-602, Brazil

    Wilson Frantine-Silva

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  1. Léo Correia da Rocha-Filho
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da Rocha-Filho, L.C., Moure-Oliveira, D., de Miranda Carvalho, S. et al. Diversity and host–parasite interactions of cavity-nesting Hymenoptera communities in the Brazilian Savannah. J Insect Conserv 23, 651–665 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-019-00157-7

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