Use of social wasp Polistes versicolor on eucalyptus caterpillar control

Abstract

The objective of this work was to determine the resources foraged by Polistes versicolor on an eucalyptus reforestation and to identify preys in the resources foraged. From January to December, 2007, 24 foraging activity observations were done on colonies of P. versicolor in an eucalyptus reforestation, in Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil, totalizing 240 hours of registrations. During ten hours, the return of the workers to the colony was registered and qualified, every 30 minutes. In this work, 1,809 returns were registered, and 51.63% were with nectar; 6.85%, with water; 4.7%, with vegetable fiber; 17.41%, with preys; and 19.40%, without foraged resource (unproductive). Polistes versicolor workers preys exclusively caterpillars, that were the only animal protein source offered to the immature insects in the colony. Thus, the studied species can be used as a biological controller of eucalyptus defoliating herbivores.