On the nesting biology of Pirhosigma Giordani Soika (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae), with special reference to the use of vegetable matter

On the nesting biology of Pirhosigma Giordani Soika (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae), with special reference to the use of vegetable matter. The use of vegetable matter in nest building is not widespread among the Eumeninae, and is reported for the first time for the two species of potter wasps Pi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Marcel G. Hermes, Alexandre Somavilla, Bolívar R. Garcete-Barrett
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Entomologia 2013-12-01
Series:Revista Brasileira de Entomologia
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0085-56262013000400016&lng=en&tlng=en
Description
Summary:On the nesting biology of Pirhosigma Giordani Soika (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae), with special reference to the use of vegetable matter. The use of vegetable matter in nest building is not widespread among the Eumeninae, and is reported for the first time for the two species of potter wasps Pirhosigma superficiale and P. limpidum. These wasps make mostly spherical mud nests over which they attach small pieces of unmasticated plant matter. Use of plant fragments in this group of wasps is interpreted as camouflage behavior.
ISSN:1806-9665