Open access journal: http://periodicos.uefs.br/ojs/index.php/sociobiology ISSN: 0361-6525 DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v67i3.5146Sociobiology 67(3): 473-477 (September, 2020) Social wasps are excellent predators (Elisei et al., 2010; Raveret Richter, 2000), however, are prey of other insects too as considerable resources are stored in their nests. There are many parasitoids of Polistes species, including Lepidoptera (Gelechiidae, Crambidae, Cosmopterigidae, Tineidae, and Pyralidae (Strassmann, 1981; Yamane, 1996)), Strepsiptera (Xenidae), Diptera (Phoridae, Sarcophagidae, and Tachinidae (Somavilla et al., 2015; Zeegers et al., 2014; Benadé et al., 2014)), and Hymenoptera (Pteromalidae, Chalcididae, Eulophidae, Torymidae, Ichneumonidae, Trigonalidae, Mutillidae, and even Vespidae itself (Benadé et al., 2014; Somavilla et al., 2015; Hodges, 2003; Whiteman & Landwer, 2000; Gumovsky 2007; Silva-Filho 2007; Kozyra et al., 2014; Kudo et al., 2014; Madden et al., 2010; de Souza Tavares et al. 2013)). Polistes myersi Bequaert, 1934 is found from Panamá to Venezuela (Richards, 1978). Their nests, of up to 100 cells, are found in perturbed habitats (Cubillos & Sarmiento, 1996; London & Jeanne, 2000), however, little is known about its biology and its relationships with predators and parasitoids. Here we report several parasitoid species of this wasp. Abstracts Information about parasitoids of neotropical vespids is scarce. Parasitoids collected from 43 colonies of Polistes myersi Bequaert, 1934 and one of Polistes erythrocephalus Latreille, 1813 are reported from an Andean region of Colombia. Colony parasitism rates in P. myersi ranged from 35 % to 57 %, being higher in colonies with more cells; however, the number of parasitized colonies did not differ when considering the mean number of adult wasps (8.2 vs. 8.1 respectively). Parasitoidism ranged from one up to four species per colony. P. myersi parasitoids were: Seminota laeviceps (Cresson, 1879) (Trigonalidae); Signiphora polistomyiella Richards, 1935 (Signiphoridae); Elasmus polistis Burks, 1971 (Eulophidae, Elasminae); and a new species of Xenos (Strepsiptera, Xenidae). The latter three are first records for Colombia. P. myersi and P. erythrocephalus are the first host reports for the trigonalid S. laeviceps. We also report an unknown Tachinid fly species of the tribe Blondeliini attacking P. myersi. Sociobiology An international journal on social insects D Mayorga-Ch, CE Sarmiento Article History Edited by Marcel Hermes, UFLA, Brazil Received 07 April 2020 Initial acceptance 20 May 2020 Final acceptance 08 June 2020 Publication date 30 September 2020 Keywords Neotropics; Eulophidae; Signiphoridae; Trigonalidae; Tachinidae; Xenidae. Corresponding author Carlos Sarmiento Carrera 30, Nº 45-03. Edificio 425 oficina 303, Bogotá, Colombia. E-Mail: cesarmientom@unal.edu.co A total of 43 colonies with either late instar wasp larvae or pupae were collected from Fusagasugá, Cundinamarca, Colombia (4º18’996” N, 74º26’475” W, 1309 m) in May and October 2017, and in August 2019. Each colony was established in transparent PVC cages (25 x 16 x 16 cm) and stored in a rearing chamber (28 °C, 44% RH, 12/12 h photoperiod). Colonies had access to water and a mixture of water, honey, and pollen ad libitum. Depending on the colony size either one or two late instar larvae of Galleria mellonella Linnaeus, 1758 (Pyralidae) were offered every other day. Colonies increased their size and their larvae reached adulthood or even started new colonies. Colonies were checked daily and emergent parasitoids were preserved in ethanol 96%; these were identified using appropriate keys and help from specialists: For Hymenoptera the following references: Fernandez and Sharkey (2006), Burks (2019), Subba Rao (1974), Carmean and Kimsey (1998), and the following contacted specialists: D. Carmean, R. Burks, J. Wooley, and A. Dal Molin. For Strepsiptera the specialist Jerry Cook, (Sam Houston Natural History Collections). And Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C., Colombia Parasitoids of Polistes myersi Bequaert, 1934 (Vespidae, Polistinae) SHORT NOTE D Mayorga-CH, CE Sarmiento – Polistes myersi parasitoids474 for Diptera the specialist Juan Manuel Perilla (Wright State University). Parasitoids of a single incidental colony of Polistes erythrocephalus Latreille, 1813 are also reported. Specimens were deposited in the Instituto de Ciencias Naturales (ICN), Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá (Catalogue numbers Table 1). A total of 19 colonies were infected by parasitoids; parasitism ranged from 35 % to 57 %. Parasitized nests were larger than non-parasitized ones (average cell number 64 vs 38 respectively, Table 1). However, the mean number of adult females did not differ between parasitized and non-parasitized colonies (8.2 vs. 8.1 respectively, Table 1). The following parasitoid species of P. myersi colonies are reported: Xenos n. sp. (Strepsiptera, Xenidae); Elasmus polistis Burks, 1971 (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae); Signiphora polistomyiella Richards, 1935 (Hymenoptera, Signiphoridae); Seminota laeviceps (Cresson, 1879) (Hymenoptera, Trigonalidae), and an unknown fly (Diptera, Tachinidae, Blondeliini) (Fig 1). Except for Xenos n. sp. all other parasitoids were collected during two or the three field trips. Parasitoid species Infected nests* Nests characteristics # Cells # Females Signiphora polistomyiella (ICN 101081)^ 9 54.3 ± 57.8 7.6 ± 3.8 Elasmus polistis (ICN 101078) 8 71.3 ± 57.0 9.1 ± 9.2 Blondeliini sp. (ICN 101079) 7 45.1 ± 16.3 6.0 ± 3.7 Seminota laeviceps (ICN 101080) 3 60.3 ± 51.9 11.3 ± 16.3 Xenos n. sp. (ICN 101082) 1 72 13 Non-Parasitized 24 38.0 ± 23.7 8.2 ± 5.9 Table 1. Characteristics of the parasitized nest of Polistes myersi where these parasitoids emerged (Mean ± SD). *As some nests harbor more than one parasitoid species, the number of nests will not add up. ̂ Museum collection number. Fig 1. Habitus of the parasioids reported in the colonies of Polistes myersi and Polistes erythrocephalus. (A) Seminota laeviceps, (B) Elasmus polistis, (C) Signiphora polistomyella, (D) Xenos n. sp, and (E) Blondellini. Sociobiology 67(3): 473-477 (September, 2020) 475 From most of the colonies a single parasitoid species was obtained, with the following exceptions: two colonies with S. polistomyiella and E. polistis, one colony with E. polistis and a Blondeliini fly, and one colony with S. polistomyiella and a Blondeliini fly, one colony with S. polistomyiella, E. polistis and a Blondeliini fly, and one colony with S. polistomyiella, E. polistis, Xenos n. sp. and a Blondeliini fly. The number of parasitoids per colony could be higher as several of them are known hyperparasitoids. Below we give an account of the taxa recorded: Elasmus (Eulophidae) is known as parasitoid of multiple taxa including Diptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera families such as Braconidae, Ichneumonidae, and Vespidae (Askew et al., 1997; Gumovsky et al., 2007; Krombein, et al., 1951). It is also hyperparasitoid of Diptera (Noyes, 2019). Elasmus polistis is reported from Brazil, India, Germany, Mexico, U.S.A. and the Virgin Islands (Burks, 1971; Dorfey & Köhler, 2011; Noyes, 2019), this is the first report for Colombia. Signiphora polistomyiella (Signiphoridae) is parasitoid of Blondeliini (Tachinidae, Diptera) (De Santis, 1981) and hyperparasitoid of Vespidae such as Polistes pacificus and Mischocyttarus surinamensis (Vesey-Fitzgerald 1938). Nine colonies of this study had S. polistomyiella parasitoids. S. polistomyiella is reported from Peru and Trinidad and Tobago (Subba Rao, 1974), this is the first report for Colombia. Seminota (Trigonalidae) is a hyperparasitoid genus of several Vespidae genera (Carmean & Kimsey, 1998; Somavilla, 2015; Weinstein & Austin, 1991). However, Santos and Noll (2013) suggest that primary parasitoidism may also occur. The genus has been reported in several countries of the Neotropics (Carmean & Kimsey, 1998; Smith, 2012; Santos & Noll 2013) but this is the first report for Colombia. To our knowledge, this is the first record of hosts for Seminota laeviceps, wich includes P. myersi and Polistes erytrocephalus. Xenos, (Xenidae) as indicated by Cook’s (2019) catalogue, is a widely distributed and known parasitoid of vespids (Kathirithamby, 2012; Cook, 2019). It was reported from Colombia as parasitoid of Polistes erythrocephalus (Girón, 2006). The specimen from our study belongs to a new species (Cook pers. comm.) under description. The Tachinidae fly recorded belongs to the tribe Blondeliini. Unfortunately, there are no thorough taxonomic studies on this tribe for the neotropics. Consequently, no more accurate identification is possible. Blondeliini is a tribe with global distribution (Fuentes, unpub.). They are parasitoids of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and the Hymenoptera families Argidae Tenthredinidae, Braconidae and Vespidae (Zeegers, 2014; Guimaraes, 1977). The number of parasitized colonies of P. myersi (average 44%) was very high compared to other Polistes species. Hodges et al. (2003) reported a parasitism rate of 23% out of 303 studied nests for Polistes metricus in the USA. Keeping and Crewe (1983) reported five colonies of Belonogaster juncea and B. petiolata parasitized out of 63 colonies sampled in South Africa. The only higher record of parasitism rate than the present study was found in a small study with seven out of ten sampled colonies of Polistes dorsalis; these were parasitized by Elasmus polistis in the USA (Macom & Landolt, 1995). 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