DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v66i4.3576Sociobiology 66(4): 610-613 (December, 2019) Open access journal: http://periodicos.uefs.br/ojs/index.php/sociobiology ISSN: 0361-6525 Social Wasps as Biological Control Agents Against Diaphania hyalinata (Linnaeus, 1767) (Lepidoptera, Crambidae), a Cucumber Pest in Amazonas, Brazil Diaphania hyalinata (Linnaeus, 1767) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), popularly known as “melonworm moth”, is considered one of the main pests of the cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) (Gonring et al., 2002; 2003), and attacks other Curcubitaceae species, such as: melon (Cucumis melo L.), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunberg) Matsumura & Nakai), pumpkin (Curcubita moschata Duchesne) and zucchini (Curcubita pepo L.) (Fernandes, 1998; Costa et al., 2008; Santana Júnior et al., 2012; Panthi et al., 2017). Adults deposit egg masses on leaf surfaces, where eggs hatch and larvae begin to feed on leaves, flowers, and fruits (Santana Júnior et al., 2012; Panthi et al., 2017). In fruits, larvae feed on the surface or form galleries, damaging the cucumber pulp (Fernandes, 1998) (Figure 1). Such attacks on fruit accelerate their decomposition due to penetration by saprophyte organisms, which completely rot the fruits and prevent their consumption (Gonring et al., 2003; Costa et al., 2008). Depending on the intensity of infestation, the damage can reach 100% (Melo et al., 2011). Controlling Abstract Diaphania hyalinata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), popularly known as “melonworm moth”, is considered a main pest of the cucumber, and depending on the intensity of infestation, the damage can reach 100%. Herein, we report the predation of D. hyalinata larvae by seven social wasp species: Brachygastra lecheguana, Polybia dimidiata, Polybia ignobilis, Polybia liliacea, Protopolybia minutissima, Synoeca surinama and Synoeca virginea, and predation of D. hyalinata pupae by Polybia liliacea. We suggest that Polybia liliacea, should be considered as a potential biological control for cucumbers, due to its high index of captured prey and intense foraging activity. Sociobiology An international journal on social insects GM Lourido, T Mahlmann, A Somavilla, KFG Guerra Article History Edited by Gilberto M.M. Santos, UEFS, Brazil Received 17 July 2018 Initial acceptance 13 November 2019 Final acceptance 20 November 2019 Publication date 30 December 2019 Keywords Cucumis sativus, melonworm moth, Polistinae, Polybia liliacea, predation. Corresponding author Gilcélia Melo Lourido Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Coordenação de Biodiversidade Av. André Araújo, Petrópolis CEP: 69.067-375 - Manaus/AM, Brasil E-Mail: gilourido@yahoo.com.br D. hyalinata is difficult because they are multivolt insects with high reproductive capacity and adapt to food resources that fluctuate in terms of quality and availability (Guedes et al., 2010). Pupae can form on cucumber leaves, soil, or adjacent plants, where the larvae form cocoons by winding a leaf section (Capinera, 2004). Although D. hyalinata is a widely studied species, due to its agricultural and economic importance, information about its predators is scarce. Regarding predation by social wasps, there are only records of D. hyalinata larvae predation by Polybia ingnobilis (Haliday, 1836), which is the most common, and Polybia scutellaris (White, 1841), which seems to be restricted to the Atlantic Forest (Gonring et al., 2002; Santana Júnior et al., 2012; Gonring et al., 2003; Jacques et al., 2015). Predatory wasps play an important role in the natural control of insect pests (Picanço et al., 2012), as they search for and consume prey, adapt to environments, and compete for food, which make them highly efficient (Santana Júnior et al., 2012). According to Prezoto et al. (2008), social wasps Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Manaus, AM, Brazil SHORT NOTE Sociobiology 66(4): 610-613 (December, 2019) 611 capture adult and/or immature insects to feed their larvae. The preference for preying upon Lepidoptera is a good indicator that wasps could act as biological control agents for economically destructive caterpillar populations such as Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith, 1797), Chlosyne lacinia saundersi (Doubleday,1847), Alabama argillacea (Hübner, 1823), Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner, 1818 and Heliothis virescens (Fabricius, 1777), which make up the most common pests abundantly found in small farms in Neotropical environments such as Brazil (Prezoto et al., 2019). Recently, in Amazonas State, predatory activity of Polistes canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) on Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus, 1758) has been observed at a small organic kale plantation (Brassica oleracea L.) (Montefusco et al., 2017). The importance of social wasps is recognized, however, little is known about their activity as agents of biological control for Diaphania species (Santana Júnior et al., 2012). Thus, we report predation of larvae, and, for the first time, pupae of D. hyalinata by social wasps. The present work is the result of collections, observations, and visual records (photos and films) made in January 2015, from a rural cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plantation located approximately 45 km distant from Rio Preto da Eva, Amazonas, Brazil, accessed by km 125 of AM- 010 highway, and coordinates -2.842388°S, -59.438138°W. The area consists of a plantation with 2,000 cucumber plants, largely surrounded by primary dense ombrophilous forest, and entirely infested by D. hyalinata larvae and pupae. D. hyalinata and social wasps’ specimens were captured with entomological nets, and the vouchers deposited in the Invertebrate Collection of the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA).The lepidopterans were raised in the laboratory and adults were identified based on Arias and Clavijo (2001). Wasps were identified using Richards (1978) and through comparisons with deposited and identified material from INPA’s collection. We observed Brachygastra lecheguana (Latreille, 1804), Polybia dimidiata (Olivier, 1792), Polybia ignobilis (Haliday, 1836), Protopolybia minutissima (Spinosa, 1851), Synoeca surinama (Linnaeus, 1767) and Synoeca virginea (Fabricius, 1804) in larvae only. The wasps were observed preying on fifth instar larvae during the capture, using their posterior legs to catch the larvae, and their mandibles during flight to stabilize the prey (Figura 2A). Featured, we observed Polybia liliacea (Fabricius, 1804) preying on larvae and pupae of D. hyalinata (Figure 2A, B, C, D) (film supplementary), representing the first record of D. hyalinata pupa predation by social wasps.These pupae were found in large clusterson dried cucumber leaves, sharing the location (Figure 2C). Since we found no information about behavior of D. hyalinata pupae in the literature, we considered leaves as the pupation site. During foraging, wasps approached the pupation site and groped the leaves to locate the pupae (Figure 2C), opened the cocoon, and captured the insect, using their posterior legs and mandibles, similar to larvae capture. Apparently, D. hyalinata predation, as well as other agricultural pests of social wasps, do not present highly specialized relationships, and may in fact be more related to the original distribution of the social wasp species (Carpenter & Marques, 2001). Herein, most species are typically from the Amazon Rainforest, except for Brachygastra lecheguana and Polybia ignobilis, which are widely distributed in the Neotropics. This information is relevant since identifying and studying these predatory insects, especially in agricultural environments, are the first steps to identifying the best species to use in biological pest control (Jacques et al., 2015). In this way, such information can support control strategies for D. hyalinata, associated with integrated pest management. Acknowledgments. We thank the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas (FAPEAM) for financial support trough proc. 062.02215/2014. Fig 1. Diaphania hyalinata larvae forming galleries inside the cucumber fruits. GM Lourido, T Mahlmann, A Somavilla, KFG Guerra – Social wasps prey on cucumber moth pest in the Amazon 612 References Arias, Q. & Clavijo, J. (2001). Clave pictórica de las especies de Diaphania Hübner, 1818 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) de Venezuela. 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Sociobiology, 59: 1269-1280. Prezoto, F., Maciel, T.T., Detoni, M., Mayorquin, A. Z., & Barbosa, B.C. (2019). Pest Control Potential of Social Wasps in Small Farms and Urban Gardens. Insects, 10: 192-202. Richards, O.W. (1978). The social wasps of the Americas (excluding the Vespinae). British Museum of Natural History, London, 580 pp. Santana Júnior, P.A., Gonring, A.H.R., Picanço, M.C., Ramos, R.S., Martins, J.C. & Ferreira, D.O. (2012). Natural biological control of Diaphania spp. (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) by Social Wasps. Sociobiology, 59: 561-571. Supplementary file (film) http://periodicos.uefs.br/ojs/index.php/sociobiology/rt/ suppFiles/3576/0 1: Polybia liliacea preying on Diaphania hyalinata larvae. DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v66i4.3576.s2103 2: Polybia liliacea preying on Diaphania hyalinata larvae. DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v66i4.3576.s2658