DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v63i1.937Sociobiology 63(1): 728-730 (March, 2016)

Open access journal: http://periodicos.uefs.br/ojs/index.php/sociobiology
ISSN: 0361-6525

Polybia (Myrapetra) scutellaris (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) foraging on flies at carcasses of 
Rattus norvegicus (Rodentia: Muridae)

Social wasps stand out due to their role in the trophic 
balance of ecosystems. This is the result of their generalist 
and opportunistic foraging features (Hunt, 2007; Prezoto et al., 
2008; Prezoto & Souza, 2015), which comprises carbohydrates 
such as nectar, pollen, fruit pulp (Clemente et al., 2012; 
Barbosa et al., 2014) and also proteins. Social wasps can obtain 
these substances through predation of other insects, such as 
Lepidoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and from decomposing 
remains of vertebrates (O’Donnell, 1995; Lima & Prezoto, 
2003). Thereby, the group shows potential as possible pest 
control agents (Elisei et al., 2010).

Some species, such as Polybia scutellaris (Telleria, 
1996), can also use pollen and nectar stored in their nests to 
produce honey. There are also researches focused on the capture 
of prey by some species of social wasps (Prezoto et al., 2005; 
Prezoto et al., 2006; Bichara et al., 2009; Brocanelli, 2015). 
These works show that predation, in certain circumstances, 

Abstract 
Social wasps stand out due to their role in the trophic balance 
of the ecosystems. These insects can get nutrients by preying on 
other insects, such as Lepidoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and 
the decomposing remains of vertebrates. Some species, such 
as Polybia scutellaris, can also use pollen and nectar stored in 
their nests to produce honey. Some studies lay emphasis on the 
prey captured by social wasps, showing that predation, in some 
conditions, is directed to Lepidoptera larvae, such as for Polybia 
occidentalis, Polybia paulista and Polybia ignobilis. Other species 
like P. scutellaris focus on flies of the Tabanidae, Syrphidae, 
Muscidae and Anthomyiidae families. There are few studies with 
social wasps that feed on animal carcasses; this way, our study 
aims to report the predation on individuals of the Sarcophagidae 
family, which use Rattus norvegicus carcasses as a food source, by 
the social wasp Polybia scutellaris.

Sociobiology
An international journal on social insects

AS Herdina1, GSS Bitencourt1, RA Di Mare1, BC Barbosa2

Article History

Edited by
Gilberto M. M. Santos, UEFS, Brazil
Received      16 October 2015
Initial acceptance        05 November 2015
Final acceptance     11 February 2016
Publication date          29 April 2016

Keywords 
Brachycera, Epiponini, Itaara, predation.

Corresponding author
Anita da Silva Herdina
Laboratório de Biologia Evolutiva, 
Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução 
Universidade Federal de Santa Maria 
CEP: 97105-900, Santa Maria 
Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
E-Mail: anitabioufsm@gmail.com

can be directed to Lepidoptera larvae such as for Polybia 
occidentalis (Olivier, 1791) (Gobbi et al., 1984), Polybia paulista 
(Ihering, 1896) (Gobbi & Machado, 1985) and Polybia ignobilis 
(Haliday, 1836) (Gobbi & Machado, 1986). Furthermore, other 
species, such as P. scutellaris, seem to prefer capturing insects 
of the Diptera order, particularly from the families Tabanidae, 
Syrphidae, Muscidae and Anthomyiidae (Matsuura, 1984).

There is a lack of knowledge on social wasps’ foraging 
in animal carcasses (O’Donnell, 1995; Gomes et al., 2007). 
This study aims to contribute to the knowledge of this 
behavior by reporting the predation of flies in carcasses of 
Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout, 1769) by social wasp Polybia 
scutellaris (White, 1984).

The observations were made in August 2014 in the Itaara 
town, Rio Grande do Sul (29°36’56.1”S; 53°48’27.6” W). For that, 
were used Shannon traps (Fig 1A) with R. norvegicus’carcasses. 
These traps were placed in a forest area (Fig 1B).

SHORT NOTE

1 - Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
2 - Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil



Sociobiology 63(1): 728-730 (March, 2016) 729

The foraging of P. scutellaris (Fig 1C) was exclusively 
focused on Sarcophagidae flies during the winter (August). 
By observing the trap’s contents, we conclude that the wasps 
first overfly the carcasses and then they capture the flies and 
remove them out the trap; lastly, they lacerate their prey in 

order to carry them to the colony. P. scutellaris showed four 
stages during the foraging of Diptera (Fig 2): I. Prey capture 
using mandibles (Fig 2A); II. Prey decapitation (Fig 2B); III. 
Prey’s wings removal (Fig 2C) and IV. Thorax’s removal and 
transportation to the colony (Fig 2D).

Fig 2. Polybia scutellaris foraging flies of Sarcophagidae’s family in carcasses of Rattus norvegicus. A – Fly captured 
by P. scutellaris using mandibles; B – P. scutellaris. decapitating the fly captured; C – P. scutellaris removing the 
wings; D – Abdomen removed by wasp, holding the  thorax to be transported to the nest.

Fig 1. A – Shannon trap containing PET bottle of 500 ml, nylon pyramid, iron cage and wooden tray; B – Trap in the 
forest area; C – Lateral and dorsal view of Polybia scutellaris.



AS Herdina et al. – Polybia scutellaris foraging on flies at carcasses730

The foraging pattern observed on this study is similar to 
the behavior of other social wasp species previously studied: 
Mischocyttarus drewseni (Saussure, 1857) (Jeanne, 1972), 
Polybia sericea (Olivier, 1792) (Richter & Jeanne, 1991) 
and Polybia ignobilis (Gomes et al., 2013). We also observed 
the wasps’ opportunistic behavior, since they forage the prey 
caught in traps near animal carcasses. As a consequence, this 
behavior grants resource saving when compared to active 
searching preys in the natural environment.

Despite of the recent increase of forensic entomology 
studies in Brazil (Moretti et al., 2008; Moretti et al., 2011; 
Barbosa et al., 2015; Maciel et al., 2015), there is no effective 
understanding of ecological interaction related to social wasps 
within the scavenger community yet. Therefore, wasps foraging 
on forensic-important insects such as the Calliphoridae and 
Sarcophagidae families could influence on the abundance and 
diversity of these families’ species and, as a result, lead to an 
underestimation of the postmortem interval.

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