The nesting biology of the potter wasp Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) is described based on observations made in the Cerro Turega Hydric Reserve, Penonome, Panama. The collection of building material, the architecture of the nest, the process of building a cell and cell provision with geometrid larvae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), and the emergence time of the adults are recorded.
Se describe la biología de anidación de la avispa alfarera Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) en base a observaciones realizadas en la Reserva Hídrica Cerro Turega, Penonomé, Panamá. Se registran la recolección de material de construcción, la arquitectura del nido, el proceso de construcción de una celda, y aprovisionamiento de celdas con larvas geométridos (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), así como el tiempo de emergencia de los adultos

Abrego, Jean Carlos

Garcete-Barrett, Bolivar R.

Santos Murgas, Alonso

English

UNL | Libraries

University of Nebraska - Lincoln
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Insecta Mundi Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville,Florida
2018
Nesting biology of Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola,
1851) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae:
Eumenini) in Panama
Jean Carlos Abrego
Universidad de Panama, jeanscarlos1705@gmail.com
Bolivar R. Garcete-Barrett
National University of Asuncion
Alonso Santos Murgas
Universidad de Panama
Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi
Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Entomology Commons
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville, Florida at DigitalCommons@University
of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Insecta Mundi by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska
- Lincoln.
Abrego, Jean Carlos; Garcete-Barrett, Bolivar R.; and Santos Murgas, Alonso, "Nesting biology of Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola, 1851)
(Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae: Eumenini) in Panama" (2018). Insecta Mundi. 1161.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/1161
Center for SyStematiC entomology, inC., Gainesville, FL
Insecta
 MundI A Journal of World Insect Systematics
0652
Nesting biology of Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola, 1851)  
(Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae: Eumenini) in Panama
Jean Carlos Abrego 
Escuela de Biología
Universidad de Panamá
Bolívar R. Garcete-Barrett
National Museum of Natural History of Paraguay 
National University of Asuncion, Branch 1 Campus UNA
2169 CDP, Central XI 
San Lorenzo, Paraguay
Alonso Santos Murgas
Museo de Invertebrados G. B. Fairchild
Universidad de Panamá
Date of issue: August 31, 2018
0652
1–7
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CE79DB7C-F7B8-450D-9403-
A300854C2865
2018
31
August
Jean Carlos Abrego, Bolívar R. Garcete-Barrett and Alonso Santos Murgas
Nesting biology of Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola, 1851) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: 
Eumeninae: Eumenini) in Panama
Insecta Mundi 0652: 1–7
ZooBank Registered: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CE79DB7C-F7B8-450D-9403-A300854C2865
Published in 2018 by
Center for Systematic Entomology, Inc.
P.O. Box 141874
Gainesville, FL 32614-1874 USA
http://centerforsystematicentomology.org/
Insecta Mundi is a journal primarily devoted to insect systematics, but articles can be published on any non-marine 
arthropod. Topics considered for publication include systematics, taxonomy, nomenclature, checklists, faunal works, 
and natural history. Insecta Mundi will not consider works in the applied sciences (i.e. medical entomology, pest 
control research, etc.), and no longer publishes book reviews or editorials. Insecta Mundi publishes original research 
or discoveries in an inexpensive and timely manner, distributing them free via open access on the internet on the 
date of publication.
Insecta Mundi is referenced or abstracted by several sources, including the Zoological Record and CAB Abstracts. 
Insecta Mundi is published irregularly throughout the year, with completed manuscripts assigned an individual 
number. Manuscripts must be peer reviewed prior to submission, after which they are reviewed by the editorial 
board to ensure quality. One author of each submitted manuscript must be a current member of the Center for 
Systematic Entomology.
Guidelines and requirements for the preparation of manuscripts are available on the Insecta Mundi website at 
http://centerforsystematicentomology.org/insectamundi/
Chief Editor: David Plotkin, insectamundi@gmail.com
Assistant Editor: Paul E. Skelley, insectamundi@gmail.com
Head Layout Editor: Robert G. Forsyth
Editorial Board: J. H. Frank, M. J. Paulsen, Michael C. Thomas
Review Editors: Listed on the Insecta Mundi webpage
Printed copies (ISSN 0749-6737) annually deposited in libraries
CSIRO, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Museu de Zoologia, São Paulo, Brazil 
Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada 
The Natural History Museum, London, UK
Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii PAN, Warsaw, Poland
National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville, FL, USA
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Electronic copies (Online ISSN 1942-1354, CDROM ISSN 1942-1362) in PDF format
Printed CD or DVD mailed to all members at end of year. Archived digitally by Portico.
Florida Virtual Campus: http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/insectamundi
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/
Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-135240
Copyright held by the author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons, 
Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction 
in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Layout Editor for this article: Robert G. Forsyth
0652: 1–7 2018
Nesting biology of Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola, 1851) (Hymenoptera: 
Vespidae: Eumeninae: Eumenini) in Panama
Jean Carlos Abrego 
Escuela de Biología
Universidad de Panamá
jeanscarlos1705@gmail.com
Bolívar R. Garcete-Barrett
National Museum of Natural History of Paraguay 
National University of Asuncion, Branch 1 Campus UNA
2169 CDP, Central XI 
San Lorenzo, Paraguay
Alonso Santos Murgas
Museo de Invertebrados G. B. Fairchild
Universidad de Panamá
Abstract. The nesting biology of the potter wasp Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eu-
meninae) is described based on observations made in the Cerro Turega Hydric Reserve, Penonome, Panama. The 
collection of building material, the architecture of the nest, the process of building a cell and cell provision with 
geometrid larvae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), and the emergence time of the adults are recorded.
Key words. Mud nest, ecology, Geometridae, potter wasp, biodiversity.
Resumen. Se describe la biología de anidación de la avispa alfarera Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola) (Hymenop-
tera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) en base a observaciones realizadas en la Reserva Hídrica Cerro Turega, Penonomé, 
Panamá. Se registran la recolección de material de construcción, la arquitectura del nido, el proceso de construc-
ción de una celda, y aprovisionamiento de celdas con larvas geométridos (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), así como el 
tiempo de emergencia de los adultos.
Palabras clave. Nido de barro, ecología, Geometridae, avispa alfarera, biodiversidad.
Introduction 
Our knowledge of the nesting biology of the potter wasps (Vespidae: Eumeninae) is still very frag-
mentary in details. Iwata’s (1976) overview of Eumeninae nesting biology recognized three general 
categories: excavators, renters, and builders.  The validity of this system has been challenged by the 
polymorphic behavioral plasticity of some genera, such as Ancistroceroides Saussure, 1855, Stenodynerus 
Saussure, 1863, Pachodynerus Saussure, 1870, etc. (Evans and Matthews 1974; Cooper 1979; Willink 
and Roig-Alsina 1998), and Minixi Soika, 1978 (Hermes et al. 2015), and thus is not a valid character 
for a natural classification of the subfamily. An important role in eumenine nesting biology may be 
played by ecological factors (e.g. resource availability) and protection against potential enemies (Hermes 
et. al., 2015). However, Hermes et al. (2013) claimed that two species of Pirhosigma (Eumenini tribe) 
with the uncommon use vegetable matter in the construction of their nests, are exclusively builders 
(= constructors) of exposed nests. 
Pachymenes de Saussure, 1852 is a small neotropical genus of Eumenini, with 18 recognized spe-
cies, distributed from Mexico to Argentina, with only two species reported from Panama: Pachymenes 
novarae (Saussure) and Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola), the latter being reported from Costa Rica to 
Argentina (Grandinete et. al. 2015). 
Giordani Soika (1990), when treating Pachymenes ghilianii olivaceus (Saussure) (currently considered 
a dark variant of this species), mentioned a nest studied by Bertoni in 1909 in Paraguay, that Giordani 
Soika suspected to be Pachymenes orellanae vardyi Giordani Soika (now considered a mere dark variant 
of that species). 
2 • Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 Abrego et Al.
Bertoni (1911) described as Pachymenes ater (Saussure, 1852) [sic. as atra], a pair of very different 
nests collected in Paraguay between 1909 and 1910: one consisted of a series of stacked discoid cells 
forming a cylindrical structure along a very fine twig, and the other was a globular structure pierced 
by a sharp twig (similar to the nests of Sceliphron fistulare (Dahlbom) as shown in Compagnucci and 
Roig-Alsina (2008) (Figure 4). Later Bertoni (1918) identified the first nest specimen (referenced and 
labeled “2620” by Bertoni) as Pachymenes velutina Ducke, currently a synonym of P. ghiliani (appendix 
S2 of Grandinete et al. 2015). However, based on the description of the clypeus given by Bertoni (1918) 
and examination of the specimens by the second author of this article (BRGB), the correct identification 
is Pachymenes orellanae (Schulz, 1905).
The second nest described by Bertoni (1918) as belonging to Pachymenes ater, was identified based on 
the structure of the clypeus. The specimens are not numbered in the additional half-dozen nests present 
in the collection of Bertoni and there are several specimens with labels indicating “Spheroid nest.” But 
we infer that this second nest of Bertoni (1918) fits well with the current concept of Pachymenes ater 
Saussure.
Therefore, although Pachymenes ghilianii is a common and widely distributed species, it remains 
unknown how flexible are its nesting habits. In this article we present details of the nesting biology 
Pachymenes ghilianii, including the process of building a cell, the architecture of the nest, and the 
emergence time of the adults.
Materials and Methods
Biological and ecological observations were carried out inside the forest of the Cerro Turega Hydric 
Reserve, Penonome, Coclé prov., Panama (05°89′02.9″N, 09°52′85.8″W), 2-4 June 2017 (Fig. 1). Along 
a linear transect of approximately 1 km, we checked for wasp nests along tree bases, branches, the 
undersides of leaves in trees and shrubs up to 1.5 m above ground level, in dirt road slopes, and above 
rocks, and took pictures of the area. It was possible to detect and collect an active mud nest by following 
an adult female potter wasp. The completed nest was collected and placed in a hatching chamber and 
maintained in the laboratory at an average temperature of 26°C and a relative humidity of 82% for the 
larvae to continue their development.  All the wasps that emerged from the nest were mounted on ento-
mological pins and deposited into the National Reference Collection of the G B. Fairchild Invertebrate 
Museum of the University of Panama.
Results and Discussion 
In the Cerro Turega transect (Fig. 2), we observed, at 8 a.m., one female Pachymenes ghilianii (Spi-
nola) (Vespidae: Eumeninae) collecting small sand and earth crystals with her mandibles, this material 
mixed with regurgitated water produced the mud used for her nest construction (Fig. 3). The female 
then flew to a nearby shrub, where on the underside central rib of a leaf, she was building the fourth 
cell of a mud nest that already had three complete cells (Fig. 4). This nest was kept in observation until 
5 p.m. that same day. It took about three hours to finish the fourth cell, as the female made different 
length trips to the nearby source of building materials (Fig. 5). The rest of the day was devoted to col-
lecting Geometridae larvae (Lepidoptera) to provision the fourth cell (Fig. 6). Finally, the female wasp 
sealed the cell with mud.
The entire nest measured approximately 25.4 mm, each of the four cells was ovoid and distinctly 
recognizable from the outside (Fig. 6). Cells had an average diameter of 5.89 mm and length of 16.20 
mm, the supply hole (before sealing) measured 6.19 mm. The latter indicates to us that the geometrid 
larvae captured as prey should have the same or a smaller maximum body diameter. Each cell contained 
four to five paralyzed geometrid larvae and a single larva of P. ghilianii feeding on them.
In the laboratory, after 23 days, an adult female emerged from cell 1 (Fig. 7); then 5 days later an 
adult male emerged from cell 3 (Fig. 8, 9, 10). No adults emerged from pupae present in cells 2 and 4 
after two more weeks. We have estimated that the first cell was built on May 31, 2017, and the life cycle 
from egg hatching to emergence of an adult (Fig. 8, 9, 10) takes approximately 28 days.
Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 • 3NestiNg biology of Pachymenes ghilianii
Literature Cited
Bertoni, A. W. 1911. Contribución a la biología de las avispas y abejas del Paraguay. Anales del Museo 
Nacional de Historia Natural de Buenos Aires 22(3): 97–146.
Bertoni, A. W. 1918. Contribución al conocimiento de los himenópteros diplópteros americanos (especies 
y nidos nuevos o poco conocidos). Anales Científicos Paraguayos 2(3): 184–202.
Compagnucci, L. A., and A. Roig-Alsina. 2008. Sceliphron curvatum, una nueva avispa invasora en la 
Argentina (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina 67(3-4): 65–70.
Cooper, K. W. 1979. Plasticity in nesting behavior of a renting wasp, and its evolutionary implications. 
Studies on eumenine wasps VIII (Hymenoptera, Aculeata). Journal Washington Academy of Science 
69: 151–158.
Evans, H. E., and R. W. Matthews.  1974. Notes on nests and prey of two species of ground-nesting 
Eumenidae from So. America (Hymenoptera). Entomological News 85(5–6): 149–153.
Giordani Soika, A. 1990. Revisione degli eumenidi neotropicale appartenenti ai generi Pachymenes 
Sauss., Santamenes n. gen., Brachymenes G.S., Pseudacaromenes G.S., Stenosigma G.S. e Gamma 
Zav. (Hymenoptera). Bolletino del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Venezia 39(1988): 71–172.
Grandinete, Y. C., M. G. Hermes, and F. B. Noll. 2015. Systematics and phylogeny of the Neotropi-
cal Pachymenes de Saussure and Santamenes Giordani Soika (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeni-
nae). Systematic Entomology 40(2): 365–384.
Hermes, M. G., G. Araújo, and Y. Antonini. 2015. On the nesting biology of eumenine wasps yet 
again: Minixi brasilianum (de Saussure) is a builder and a renter … at the same time! (Hymenoptera, 
Vespidae, Eumeninae). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 59(2): 141–142.
Hermes, M. G., A. Somavilla, and B. R. Garcete-Barrett. 2013. On the nesting biology of Pirhosigma 
Giordani Soika (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae), with special reference to the use of vegetable 
matter. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 57(4): 433–436.
Iwata, K. V. 1976. Evolution of Instinct: Comparative Ethology of Hymenoptera. Amerind Publishing 
Co.; New Delhi. XI + 535 p.
Willink, A., and A. Roig-Alsina. 1998. Review of the genus Pachodynerus Saussure (Hymenoptera: Ves-
pidae: Eumeninae). Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 30(5): 1–117.
Received May 18, 2018; accepted August 9, 2018. 
Review editor Kevin Williams.
4 • Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 Abrego et Al.
Figure 1. Coordinates of the sampling site (Cerro Turega Water Reserve).
Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 • 5NestiNg biology of Pachymenes ghilianii
Figures 2–3. Behavior of Pachymenes ghilianii. 2) Trail in Cerro Turega. 3) Female of P. ghilianii collecting dirt 
from the trail.
6 • Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 Abrego et Al.
Figures 4–6. Behavior of Pachymenes ghilianii. 4) Nest built on the underside of a leaf. 5) Female P. ghilianii 
(Eumeninae) building the nest. 6) Female of P. ghilianii supplying nests with lepidopteran larvae.
Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 • 7NestiNg biology of Pachymenes ghilianii
Figures 7–9. Behavior of Pachymenes ghilianii. 7) Female of P. ghilianii emerged from cell 1. 8) Male of P. ghilianii 
emerged from cell. 9) Side view of P. ghilianii (Eumeninae) hatched from the Cerro Turega nest.
8 • Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 Abrego et Al.


Nesting biology of \u3ci\u3ePachymenes ghilianii\u3c/i\u3e (Spinola, 1851)
(Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae: Eumenini) in Panama

The nesting biology of the potter wasp Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) is described based on observations made in the Cerro Turega Hydric Reserve, Penonome, Panama. The collection of building material, the architecture of the nest, the process of building a cell and cell provision with geometrid larvae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), and the emergence time of the adults are recorded.Se describe la biología de anidación de la avispa alfarera Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) en base a observaciones realizadas en la Reserva Hídrica Cerro Turega, Penonomé, Panamá. Se registran la recolección de material de construcción, la arquitectura del nido, el proceso de construcción de una celda, y aprovisionamiento de celdas con larvas geométridos (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), así como el tiempo de emergencia de los adultos

Garcete-Barrett, Bolívar R.

Hochschulschriftenserver - Universität Frankfurt am Main

Nesting biology of Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola, 1851) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae: Eumenini) in Panama

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

University of Nebraska - LincolnDigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - LincolnInsecta Mundi Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville,Florida2018Nesting biology of Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola,1851) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae:Eumenini) in PanamaJean Carlos AbregoUniversidad de Panama, jeanscarlos1705@gmail.comBolivar R. Garcete-BarrettNational University of AsuncionAlonso Santos MurgasUniversidad de PanamaFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundiPart of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Entomology CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville, Florida at DigitalCommons@Universityof Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Insecta Mundi by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska- Lincoln.Abrego, Jean Carlos; Garcete-Barrett, Bolivar R.; and Santos Murgas, Alonso, "Nesting biology of Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola, 1851)(Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae: Eumenini) in Panama" (2018). Insecta Mundi. 1161.http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/1161Center for SyStematiC entomology, inC., Gainesville, FLInsecta MundI A Journal of World Insect Systematics0652Nesting biology of Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola, 1851)  (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae: Eumenini) in PanamaJean Carlos Abrego Escuela de BiologíaUniversidad de PanamáBolívar R. Garcete-BarrettNational Museum of Natural History of Paraguay National University of Asuncion, Branch 1 Campus UNA2169 CDP, Central XI San Lorenzo, ParaguayAlonso Santos MurgasMuseo de Invertebrados G. B. FairchildUniversidad de PanamáDate of issue: August 31, 201806521–7urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CE79DB7C-F7B8-450D-9403-A300854C2865201831AugustJean Carlos Abrego, Bolívar R. Garcete-Barrett and Alonso Santos MurgasNesting biology of Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola, 1851) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae: Eumenini) in PanamaInsecta Mundi 0652: 1–7ZooBank Registered: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CE79DB7C-F7B8-450D-9403-A300854C2865Published in 2018 byCenter for Systematic Entomology, Inc.P.O. Box 141874Gainesville, FL 32614-1874 USAhttp://centerforsystematicentomology.org/Insecta Mundi is a journal primarily devoted to insect systematics, but articles can be published on any non-marine arthropod. Topics considered for publication include systematics, taxonomy, nomenclature, checklists, faunal works, and natural history. Insecta Mundi will not consider works in the applied sciences (i.e. medical entomology, pest control research, etc.), and no longer publishes book reviews or editorials. Insecta Mundi publishes original research or discoveries in an inexpensive and timely manner, distributing them free via open access on the internet on the date of publication.Insecta Mundi is referenced or abstracted by several sources, including the Zoological Record and CAB Abstracts. Insecta Mundi is published irregularly throughout the year, with completed manuscripts assigned an individual number. Manuscripts must be peer reviewed prior to submission, after which they are reviewed by the editorial board to ensure quality. One author of each submitted manuscript must be a current member of the Center for Systematic Entomology.Guidelines and requirements for the preparation of manuscripts are available on the Insecta Mundi website at http://centerforsystematicentomology.org/insectamundi/Chief Editor: David Plotkin, insectamundi@gmail.comAssistant Editor: Paul E. Skelley, insectamundi@gmail.comHead Layout Editor: Robert G. ForsythEditorial Board: J. H. Frank, M. J. Paulsen, Michael C. ThomasReview Editors: Listed on the Insecta Mundi webpagePrinted copies (ISSN 0749-6737) annually deposited in librariesCSIRO, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaMuseu de Zoologia, São Paulo, Brazil Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada The Natural History Museum, London, UKMuzeum i Instytut Zoologii PAN, Warsaw, PolandNational Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanCalifornia Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USAFlorida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville, FL, USAField Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USANational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USAZoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg, RussiaElectronic copies (Online ISSN 1942-1354, CDROM ISSN 1942-1362) in PDF formatPrinted CD or DVD mailed to all members at end of year. Archived digitally by Portico.Florida Virtual Campus: http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/insectamundiUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln, Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-135240Copyright held by the author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons, Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/Layout Editor for this article: Robert G. Forsyth0652: 1–7 2018Nesting biology of Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola, 1851) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae: Eumenini) in PanamaJean Carlos Abrego Escuela de BiologíaUniversidad de Panamájeanscarlos1705@gmail.comBolívar R. Garcete-BarrettNational Museum of Natural History of Paraguay National University of Asuncion, Branch 1 Campus UNA2169 CDP, Central XI San Lorenzo, ParaguayAlonso Santos MurgasMuseo de Invertebrados G. B. FairchildUniversidad de PanamáAbstract. The nesting biology of the potter wasp Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eu-meninae) is described based on observations made in the Cerro Turega Hydric Reserve, Penonome, Panama. The collection of building material, the architecture of the nest, the process of building a cell and cell provision with geometrid larvae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), and the emergence time of the adults are recorded.Key words. Mud nest, ecology, Geometridae, potter wasp, biodiversity.Resumen. Se describe la biología de anidación de la avispa alfarera Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola) (Hymenop-tera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) en base a observaciones realizadas en la Reserva Hídrica Cerro Turega, Penonomé, Panamá. Se registran la recolección de material de construcción, la arquitectura del nido, el proceso de construc-ción de una celda, y aprovisionamiento de celdas con larvas geométridos (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), así como el tiempo de emergencia de los adultos.Palabras clave. Nido de barro, ecología, Geometridae, avispa alfarera, biodiversidad.Introduction Our knowledge of the nesting biology of the potter wasps (Vespidae: Eumeninae) is still very frag-mentary in details. Iwata’s (1976) overview of Eumeninae nesting biology recognized three general categories: excavators, renters, and builders.  The validity of this system has been challenged by the polymorphic behavioral plasticity of some genera, such as Ancistroceroides Saussure, 1855, Stenodynerus Saussure, 1863, Pachodynerus Saussure, 1870, etc. (Evans and Matthews 1974; Cooper 1979; Willink and Roig-Alsina 1998), and Minixi Soika, 1978 (Hermes et al. 2015), and thus is not a valid character for a natural classification of the subfamily. An important role in eumenine nesting biology may be played by ecological factors (e.g. resource availability) and protection against potential enemies (Hermes et. al., 2015). However, Hermes et al. (2013) claimed that two species of Pirhosigma (Eumenini tribe) with the uncommon use vegetable matter in the construction of their nests, are exclusively builders (= constructors) of exposed nests. Pachymenes de Saussure, 1852 is a small neotropical genus of Eumenini, with 18 recognized spe-cies, distributed from Mexico to Argentina, with only two species reported from Panama: Pachymenes novarae (Saussure) and Pachymenes ghilianii (Spinola), the latter being reported from Costa Rica to Argentina (Grandinete et. al. 2015). Giordani Soika (1990), when treating Pachymenes ghilianii olivaceus (Saussure) (currently considered a dark variant of this species), mentioned a nest studied by Bertoni in 1909 in Paraguay, that Giordani Soika suspected to be Pachymenes orellanae vardyi Giordani Soika (now considered a mere dark variant of that species). 2 • Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 Abrego et Al.Bertoni (1911) described as Pachymenes ater (Saussure, 1852) [sic. as atra], a pair of very different nests collected in Paraguay between 1909 and 1910: one consisted of a series of stacked discoid cells forming a cylindrical structure along a very fine twig, and the other was a globular structure pierced by a sharp twig (similar to the nests of Sceliphron fistulare (Dahlbom) as shown in Compagnucci and Roig-Alsina (2008) (Figure 4). Later Bertoni (1918) identified the first nest specimen (referenced and labeled “2620” by Bertoni) as Pachymenes velutina Ducke, currently a synonym of P. ghiliani (appendix S2 of Grandinete et al. 2015). However, based on the description of the clypeus given by Bertoni (1918) and examination of the specimens by the second author of this article (BRGB), the correct identification is Pachymenes orellanae (Schulz, 1905).The second nest described by Bertoni (1918) as belonging to Pachymenes ater, was identified based on the structure of the clypeus. The specimens are not numbered in the additional half-dozen nests present in the collection of Bertoni and there are several specimens with labels indicating “Spheroid nest.” But we infer that this second nest of Bertoni (1918) fits well with the current concept of Pachymenes ater Saussure.Therefore, although Pachymenes ghilianii is a common and widely distributed species, it remains unknown how flexible are its nesting habits. In this article we present details of the nesting biology Pachymenes ghilianii, including the process of building a cell, the architecture of the nest, and the emergence time of the adults.Materials and MethodsBiological and ecological observations were carried out inside the forest of the Cerro Turega Hydric Reserve, Penonome, Coclé prov., Panama (05°89′02.9″N, 09°52′85.8″W), 2-4 June 2017 (Fig. 1). Along a linear transect of approximately 1 km, we checked for wasp nests along tree bases, branches, the undersides of leaves in trees and shrubs up to 1.5 m above ground level, in dirt road slopes, and above rocks, and took pictures of the area. It was possible to detect and collect an active mud nest by following an adult female potter wasp. The completed nest was collected and placed in a hatching chamber and maintained in the laboratory at an average temperature of 26°C and a relative humidity of 82% for the larvae to continue their development.  All the wasps that emerged from the nest were mounted on ento-mological pins and deposited into the National Reference Collection of the G B. Fairchild Invertebrate Museum of the University of Panama.Results and Discussion In the Cerro Turega transect (Fig. 2), we observed, at 8 a.m., one female Pachymenes ghilianii (Spi-nola) (Vespidae: Eumeninae) collecting small sand and earth crystals with her mandibles, this material mixed with regurgitated water produced the mud used for her nest construction (Fig. 3). The female then flew to a nearby shrub, where on the underside central rib of a leaf, she was building the fourth cell of a mud nest that already had three complete cells (Fig. 4). This nest was kept in observation until 5 p.m. that same day. It took about three hours to finish the fourth cell, as the female made different length trips to the nearby source of building materials (Fig. 5). The rest of the day was devoted to col-lecting Geometridae larvae (Lepidoptera) to provision the fourth cell (Fig. 6). Finally, the female wasp sealed the cell with mud.The entire nest measured approximately 25.4 mm, each of the four cells was ovoid and distinctly recognizable from the outside (Fig. 6). Cells had an average diameter of 5.89 mm and length of 16.20 mm, the supply hole (before sealing) measured 6.19 mm. The latter indicates to us that the geometrid larvae captured as prey should have the same or a smaller maximum body diameter. Each cell contained four to five paralyzed geometrid larvae and a single larva of P. ghilianii feeding on them.In the laboratory, after 23 days, an adult female emerged from cell 1 (Fig. 7); then 5 days later an adult male emerged from cell 3 (Fig. 8, 9, 10). No adults emerged from pupae present in cells 2 and 4 after two more weeks. We have estimated that the first cell was built on May 31, 2017, and the life cycle from egg hatching to emergence of an adult (Fig. 8, 9, 10) takes approximately 28 days.Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 • 3NestiNg biology of Pachymenes ghilianiiLiterature CitedBertoni, A. W. 1911. Contribución a la biología de las avispas y abejas del Paraguay. Anales del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Buenos Aires 22(3): 97–146.Bertoni, A. W. 1918. Contribución al conocimiento de los himenópteros diplópteros americanos (especies y nidos nuevos o poco conocidos). Anales Científicos Paraguayos 2(3): 184–202.Compagnucci, L. A., and A. Roig-Alsina. 2008. Sceliphron curvatum, una nueva avispa invasora en la Argentina (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina 67(3-4): 65–70.Cooper, K. W. 1979. Plasticity in nesting behavior of a renting wasp, and its evolutionary implications. Studies on eumenine wasps VIII (Hymenoptera, Aculeata). Journal Washington Academy of Science 69: 151–158.Evans, H. E., and R. W. Matthews.  1974. Notes on nests and prey of two species of ground-nesting Eumenidae from So. America (Hymenoptera). Entomological News 85(5–6): 149–153.Giordani Soika, A. 1990. Revisione degli eumenidi neotropicale appartenenti ai generi Pachymenes Sauss., Santamenes n. gen., Brachymenes G.S., Pseudacaromenes G.S., Stenosigma G.S. e Gamma Zav. (Hymenoptera). Bolletino del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Venezia 39(1988): 71–172.Grandinete, Y. C., M. G. Hermes, and F. B. Noll. 2015. Systematics and phylogeny of the Neotropi-cal Pachymenes de Saussure and Santamenes Giordani Soika (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeni-nae). Systematic Entomology 40(2): 365–384.Hermes, M. G., G. Araújo, and Y. Antonini. 2015. On the nesting biology of eumenine wasps yet again: Minixi brasilianum (de Saussure) is a builder and a renter … at the same time! (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 59(2): 141–142.Hermes, M. G., A. Somavilla, and B. R. Garcete-Barrett. 2013. On the nesting biology of Pirhosigma Giordani Soika (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae), with special reference to the use of vegetable matter. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 57(4): 433–436.Iwata, K. V. 1976. Evolution of Instinct: Comparative Ethology of Hymenoptera. Amerind Publishing Co.; New Delhi. XI + 535 p.Willink, A., and A. Roig-Alsina. 1998. Review of the genus Pachodynerus Saussure (Hymenoptera: Ves-pidae: Eumeninae). Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 30(5): 1–117.Received May 18, 2018; accepted August 9, 2018. Review editor Kevin Williams.4 • Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 Abrego et Al.Figure 1. Coordinates of the sampling site (Cerro Turega Water Reserve).Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 • 5NestiNg biology of Pachymenes ghilianiiFigures 2–3. Behavior of Pachymenes ghilianii. 2) Trail in Cerro Turega. 3) Female of P. ghilianii collecting dirt from the trail.6 • Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 Abrego et Al.Figures 4–6. Behavior of Pachymenes ghilianii. 4) Nest built on the underside of a leaf. 5) Female P. ghilianii (Eumeninae) building the nest. 6) Female of P. ghilianii supplying nests with lepidopteran larvae.Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 • 7NestiNg biology of Pachymenes ghilianiiFigures 7–9. Behavior of Pachymenes ghilianii. 7) Female of P. ghilianii emerged from cell 1. 8) Male of P. ghilianii emerged from cell. 9) Side view of P. ghilianii (Eumeninae) hatched from the Cerro Turega nest.8 • Insecta MundI 0652, August 2018 Abrego et Al.

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2158&amp;context=insectamundi

Nesting biology of \u3ci\u3ePachymenes ghilianii\u3c/i\u3e (Spinola, 1851) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae: Eumenini) in Panama

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

UNL | Libraries

Hochschulschriftenserver - Universität Frankfurt am Main

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska