La spéciation et la diversification sur les iles sont des processus évolutifs tirés par de nombreux facteurs tels qu’histoire géologique et complexité topographique. Réciproquement, l’histoire évolutive d’une espèce contribue à expliquer ses traits biologiques et écologiques actuels. J’ai cherché à analyser ces patrons et processus à travers un système modèle présent à travers toutes les régions tropicales du monde : les Ficus et leurs insectes pollinisateurs (Hymenoptera : Chacidoidea). Plus particulièrement je me suis focalisée sur les Ficus du sous genre Sycomorus et leurs pollinisateurs, les insectes du genre Ceratosolen. Les deux objectif principaux de ma thèse ont été de : (1) étudier l’histoire biogéographique des espèces de Ceratosolen des Philippines à partir des reconstructions phylogénétiques et (2) étudier quelques aspects de la biologie et de l’écologie de ces espèces et de les relier à leur histoire évolutive. Pour l’objectif 1, nous montrons que, comme la plupart des biota des Philippines, les Ceratosolen sont arrivés du sud par Palawan ou par l’archipel de Sulu, à de multiples reprises. Il semble que l’histoire géologique, les bras de mer profonds et les changements de niveau des mers du Pléistocène ont une valeur explicative faible pour comprendre la distribution et la diversification des groupes d’espèces. Les facteurs importants seraient plutôt la complexité topographique des iles, les distances entre iles, la capacité intrinsèque de dispersion des insectes et la spécialisation écologique. Pour l’objectif 2 nous avons étudié les traits suivants : la modification des pattes arrière, la durée de vie, l’activité journalière, la structuration génétique spatiale et la perception des odeurs de figues réceptives. Nous montrons que les pattes postérieures modifiées de C. corneri ont des propriétés hydrophobes plus fortes que celles, non modifiées, de son proche parent, C. jucundus. Le caractère hydrophobe de ces pattes permet aux males de C. corneri de respirer même submergé dans du liquide dans les figues. Cette adaptation est probablement le résultat de la sélection sexuelle car ces males peuvent émerger plus tôt de leurs galles pour féconder les femelles. Nous montrons ainsi comment un trait de la figue, la quantité de liquide, contraint la morphologie et le comportement du pollinisateur. Par ailleurs nous documentons plusieurs cas de coexistence locale de plusieurs espèces de pollinisateurs associées à F. septica. Dans un site nous montrons que les deux espèces de pollinisateurs diffèrent par leur durée de vie mais débutent leur activité en même temps. De plus, F. septica et ses clades de pollinisateurs noirs présentaient une structure géographique similaire. Ce patron a pu apparaitre dans le contexte de barrières géographiques fortes, menant à l’isolement, à l’adaptation locale et finalement, à la co-diversification. Nous montrons que la coexistence de pollinisateurs a probablement été rendue possible par un déplacement initial de caractère suivi d’une extension d’aire. Finalement, nous fournissons des éléments montrant que les variations géographiques d’odeurs de figues réceptives ne limitent pas l’expansion géographique des insectes pollinisateurs. Ceci est confirmé par nos résultats sur la gamme d’odeurs perçues par les insectes. Nous montrons que cette perception était fortement dépendante des stimuli rencontrés. Ainsi nous voyons une convergence des odeurs perçues entre insectes partageant un même hôte. Ceci est une démonstration de la plasticité évolutive du système de perception des odeurs des insectes. Ainsi notre travail explore des aspects historiques et biologiques de l’ensemble des Ceratosolen des Philippines, avec une focalisation sur la diversification en cours dans le système Ficus septica-insectes associés. La suite du travail abordera les moteurs biologiques et les processus biologiques tels que la co-spéciation ou le partage de pollinisateurs que nous avons documentés ici. / Speciation and diversification in islands are evolutionary processes that are driven by many factors such as geological history and topographic complexity. In turn, the evolutionary history of a species contributes to explaining its present biological and ecological traits. In wanting to investigate these patterns and processes, I chose a model system that is present throughout the tropical areas of the world: the figs (genus Ficus) and fig wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). Specifically, I focused on a subgroup of this model system: the subgenus Sycomorus figs and their associated pollinators, the Ceratosolen wasps. The two main objectives of this thesis were: (1) to investigate the biogeographic history of the Philippine Ceratosolen species using phylogenetic tree reconstructions and (2) to investigate certain biological and ecological traits of Philippine Ceratosolen species and to relate these traits to their evolutionary history. For Objective 1, we have shown that, like most Philippine biota, Ceratosolen wasps most likely arrived from the south of the Philippines via Palawan or the Sulu archipelago. It is likely that geological history, deep-water barriers and Pleistocene sea-level changes were not major factors explaining the distribution and diversification of these species groups. They are most likely affected by other factors such as island topographic complexity, distances between islands, intrinsic wasp dispersal ability and ecological specialization. For Objective 2, we specifically looked at the following wasp traits: hind leg modifications, life span and daily activity, spatial genetic structuring and odour perception. We have shown that male C. corneri modified hind legs were able to repel liquids more than its close relative, C. jucundus, that has unmodified hind legs. The hydrophobicity of these hind legs allows C. corneri male wasps to respire even when they are submerged in fig liquid. This adaptation is probably a response to sexual selection because these male wasps now have the ability to emerge earlier to search for mates. We have thus shown how fig functional traits, i.e. amount of fig liquid, can constrain fig wasp morphology and behaviour. Moreover, in the F. septica system, we documented several instances of multiple pollinator species associating with F. septica. In one site, these two pollinator species differed in life span, but are active the same time. Also, F. septica and its black pollinator clades exhibited similar geographic structuring. This could originally be due to strong geographic barriers leading to isolation, local adaptation, and finally co-diversification. We also show the co-existence of pollinating species in an area which probably had been brought about by initial character displacement and subsequent range expansion. Lastly, we provide evidence that receptive fig odours do not constrain the species specificity of the interactions. This was further supported by our results on the range of wasp odour perception. We saw that odour perception in fig wasps is highly dependent on the olfactory stimuli. Convergence in odour perception was seen when wasps shared hosts and divergence was demonstrated when wasp species were constrained to respond to different scent profiles. This is remarkable evidence of the evolutionary plasticity in the insect odour perception system. Thus, this work explored aspects of the history and biology of Philippine Ceratosolen, as a whole, with a focus on the current on-going diversification processes in the Ficus septica-wasp system. Future work should look at the biological drivers of evolutionary processes such as co-speciation and pollinator sharing that we have documented here.

Orientador: Maria José de Oliveira Campos / Banca: Ana Eugênia de Carvalho Campos Farinha / Banca: Isabel Alves dos Santos / Banca: Maria Santina de Castro Morini / Banca: Evandro Camillo / Resumo: Hymenoptera é uma das maiores ordens de insetos e compreende as vespas, abelhas e formigas. Dentro de Aculeata as abelhas são importantes indicadores ecológicos, pois têm papel vital na manutenção natural através da polinização, e na Série Parasitica as vespas se desenvolvem como parasitóides regulando a população de outros artrópodos. A intensificação da agricultura e a conseqüente simplificação da estrutura das paisagens agrícolas têm exercido impacto sobre a riqueza da vegetação e da fauna e este tema tem despertado o interesse em todo o mundo. Diante da preocupação do impacto da agricultura sobre as abelhas nativas e parasitóides, este trabalho teve por objetivo fazer um diagnóstico da composição destes grupos em uma área agrícola no município de Rio Claro, SP. A propriedade estudada caracteriza-se pela produção de grãos, através do sistema de plantio direto e uso de produtos químicos para controle de ervas e insetos. Foram realizadas duas coletas mensais de maio de 2003 a junho de 2004, exceto outubro/03 e janeiro/04, utilizando 16 armadilhas tipo Moericke colocadas diretamente sobre o solo e expostas por 36 horas. Foram coletados 5308 himenópteros parasitóides pertencentes a 8 superfamílias e 22 famílias. As famílias Mymaridae, Encyrtidae, Scelionidae e Platygastridae foram as mais comuns com freqüência relativa de 30.88%, 19.05%, 14.96% e 6.69%, respectivamente. As demais 18 famílias foram coletadas com freqüência menor do que 5%. Foram coletadas 456 abelhas distribuídas em 20 gêneros, pertencentes a três famílias. Na composição da apifauna, Halictidae foi mais freqüente com 54.4% seguida de Apidae (40.8%) e Andrenidae (4.8%). Os gêneros Dialictus (38%) e Diadasia (30%) foram os mais freqüentes. Foi registrada a presença de Callonychium pela primeira vez no Estado de São Paulo / Abstrac: Hymenoptera is one of the largest orders of insects, comprising wasps, bees, and ants. Among the Aculeata, bees are important ecological indicators, as they have a vital role in the natural maintenance through pollination. Among parasitic hymenopterans, wasps develop as parasitoids, regulating the population of other arthropods. The intensification of agriculture and consequently the simplification of the structure of the landscape have had an impact on the richness of the vegetation and fauna, which has attracted the attention of researchers around the world. Concerned with the impact of agriculture on native bees and parasitoids, this study aimed to assess the composition of these groups in an agricultural area in the city of Rio Claro, São Paulo State. The studied area is characterized by the production of grains through direct drilling and chemical products to control weeds and insects. Monthly samples were collected from May 2003 to June 2004, except October/03 and January/04, using 16 Moericke traps placed directly on the soil for 36 hours. A total of 5308 parasitoid hymenopterans of 8 superfamilies and 22 families were collected. Mymaridae, Encyrtidae, Scelionidae and Platygastridae were the most common families with relative frequencies of 30.88%, 19.05%, 14.96%, and 6.69%, respectively. Additionally, 18 families occurred with frequencies lower than 5%. A total of 456 bees of 20 genera belonging to three families were collected. Among bees, Halictidae was the most common family representing 54.4% followed by Apidae (40.8%), and Andrenidae (4.8%). Dialictus (38%) and Diadasia (30%) were the most common genera. Bees of the genus Callonychium were observed for the first time in São Paulo State. The type of management used in the area, direct drilling and soil irrigation, favored the growth of ruderal plants probably used as a source of food / Doutor

Introdução - Abelhas (Apis) e vespídeos causam problemas tanto ao homem quanto aos animais, podendo ocasionar manifestações de hipersensibilidade e choque anafilático em conseqüência da ferroada. Após o processo de hibridização as abelhas tornaram-se mais produtivas, porém, mais defensivas e devido às alterações antrópicas, encontraram na cidade locais de nidificação. Existe na capital paulista desde 1994 um serviço realizado pelo Centro de Controle de Zoonoses da Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, que retira colméias e enxames de abelhas e vespídeos, conforme solicitações dos munícipes. As informações dessas atividades foram disponibilizadas para estudo. Objetivo - Mapear regiões da cidade de São Paulo com registros de maior concentração de colméias e enxames de abelhas e vespídeos, locais de nidificação, além de sugerir medidas para orientação da população. Métodos - Utilizar dados secundários oriundos de solicitações atendidas durante o período de agosto de 2002 a julho de 2005, e por meio de uma planilha compilar as informações e cruzar às variáveis estudadas. Resultados - No período estudado, foram totalizados 9.190 solicitações entre abelhas melíferas africanizadas e vespídeos. Houve maior frequência no atendimento para vespídeos. A distribuição ocorreu por todo o município, tendo a região leste maior frequência de vespídeos e a região sul maior frequência de abelhas melíferas africanizadas. No período em estudo ocorreram 1.944 acidentes com vítimas. Quanto aos locais de nidificação, o forro de residências e edificações foi o mais utilizado tanto para abelhas melíferas africanizadas como vespídeos. Conclusões Meses que correspondem a estações mais quentes, apresentam maior concentração de atendimentos. As solicitações para atendimento a vespídeos foi maior. Verifica-se distribuição por todo o município e grande diversidade nos locais utilizados para nidificação. / Bees (Apis) and wasps cause problems both to man and animals, and they may generate manifestations of hypersensibility and anaphylactic chock due to stings. After the hybridization process bees have become more productive, however, more defensive and due to anthropic alterations, they have found in the city some nesting places. There is in the Capital of the State of Sao Paulo since 1994 a service undertaken by the Zoonosis Control Center from the Municipal Health Secretariat, which collects beehives and bee and wasp swarms, under the request of local inhabitants. Information related to this activity has been made available for study. To map the regions in the city of Sao Paulo with a record of a greater concentration of beehives and bee and wasp swarms, and nesting places, besides suggesting measures to guide the population. To use secondary data derived from requests serviced during the period of August 2002 to July 2005, and through a spreadsheet to compile information and analyze the studied variables. In the studied period, 9.190 requests were counted among Africanized honeybees and wasps. There was some frequency in requests of servicing to deal with wasp problems. The distribution was verified all throughout the municipality, while the Eastern region presented a greater frequency of wasps and the Southern region a greater frequency of Africanized honeybees. In study period there were 1.944 accidents with victims. As regards nesting places, the lining of residences and edifications has been the most used location both to Africanized honeybees and wasps. The months corresponding to the hottest seasons, present a greater concentration of services. Requests of services to deal with wasp related problems were the greatest. It may be verified a distribution in the entire municipality and a great diversity of places used for nesting.

Orientador: Sulene Noriko Shima / Banca: Sidnei Mateus / Banca: Edilberto Giannotti / Resumo: Mischocyttarus é um gênero de vespas eussociais pertencente à subfamília Polistinae, de importância para estudos como a origem e evolução do comportamento social. Como constroem ninhos desprovidos de envelope, o acompanhamento do desenvolvimento colonial é facilitado, permitindo observar a oviposição, desenvolvimento de ovos, larvas e pupas, assim como a adição de células novas no ninho e eventos de conflitos hierárquicos entre adultos. Mischocyttarus cerberus styx e Mischocyttarus cassununga são espécies representantes de um gênero e tribo que ocorrem apenas nas Américas e estas espécies, por sua vez, ocorrem no município de Rio Claro (SP). Por ser um gênero de vespas de clima tropical e subtropical, colônias em todas as fases de desenvolvimento são encontradas ao longo do ano. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho procurou acompanhar o desenvolvimento colonial e fenologia de ambas espécies, afim de desenvolver um estudo comparado de fatores internos e externos à colônia que interagem com o andamento do ciclo colonial, de forma a verificar se as espécies demonstram perfis similares ou diferenciados entre si. Quatro locais foram escolhidos para representar a amostragem no campus da Universidade Estadual Paulista de Rio Claro, SP. O período de coleta de dados compreendeu abril de 2014 a abril de 2015, com mapeamentos e observações comportamentais semanais de ninhos selecionados, assim como varreduras mensais para detecção de colônias ativas. M. cerberus styx apresentou perfil de ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Mischocyttarus is a genus of eusocial wasps belonging to the Polistinae subfamily, of importance to studies such as the origin and evolution of social behavior. They build nests without envelopes, making it easier to take notes and follow the growth of the nest, allowing the observation of oviposition, development of the eggs, larvae and pupae, as well as the addition of new cells to the nest and hierarchical conflicts among adults. Mischocyttarus cerberus styx and Mischocyttarus cassununga are representatives of a genus and tribe that occur only in the Americas and these species happen to occur in the municipality of Rio Claro (SP). Being a wasp genus of tropical and subtropical climates, colonies in all development phases can be found throughout the year. In this sense, the present work aimed to follow the development of colonies and to study the phenology of both species, in order to develop a comparative approach of internal and external factors that interact with the colony cycle, to verify if the species show similar or diverse profiles from each other. Four locations were chosen to represent the sampling at the Universidade Estadual Paulista campus of Rio Claro, SP. The period of data collection ranged from April 2014 to April 2015, with the mapping and behavioral observations of selected colonies, as well as monthly scanning to detect active colonies. M. cerberus styx showed a more irregular profile of productivity along the four seasons, presenting in general the ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Orientador: Maria José de Oliveira Campos / Coorientador: Sulene Noriko Shima / Banca: Edilberto Giannotti / Banca: Fabio Prezoto / Resumo: Polistes versicolor é uma das espécies mais estudadas e conhecidas do gênero no Brasil. Ocorre em todo o território nacional, é bem adaptada ao ambiente antropizado, não possui diferenciação morfológica de castas e por isso seu sistema de hierarquia é baseado principalmente em aspectos comportamentais, distinguidos por atos de dominância e subordinação. Por alimentar suas larvas principalmente com proteína animal (maioria oriunda de lagartas de lepidópteros), as vespas do gênero, inclusive da presente espécie apresentam um grande potencial promissor como controladores biológicos, muitas vezes de pragas de cultivos agrícolas economicamente importantes para o homem. Dessa forma, o presente trabalho visou acompanhar características da biologia e dos processos associados à construção da hierarquia dos indivíduos da colônia com a finalidade de relacioná-las com seu comportamento forrageiro e as principais espécies de presas utilizadas na sua alimentação. Os resultados encontrados corroboram observações de estudos já realizados de que ninhos de P. versicolor exibem ambas estratégias de fundação - haplo e pleometrose -, bem como a assincronia dessas fundações, que ocorreram ao longo de grande período do ano (agosto - abril). Foi constatada também a presença dos chamados agregados de inverno ao longo da estação fria (maio - agosto). Observações pontuais realizadas acerca da formação da hierarquia e do comportamento forrageiro em alguns ninhos possibilitaram inferir que a vespa dominante é um dos indivíduos que mais exibem comportamentos agressivos contra outros, bem como é o que passa quase todo o tempo no ninho, sem realizar atividades de campo. A idade relativa das poedeiras variou entre ninhos, ora sendo uma das mais velhas, ora a mais nova, ou em níveis intermediários. A análise das viagens executadas pelas forrageiras permitiu associar que os diferentes recursos tendem a ser explorados em... / Abstract: Polistes versicolor is one of the most studied and known species of its genus in Brazil. It occurs throughout the national territory, is well adapted to human environment, lacks morphological caste differences and thus its hierarchical system is mainly based on behavioral features, distinguished by dominance/subordination acts. For feeding their larvae mainly with animal protein (most of them Lepidoptera caterpillars), Polistes wasps show great potential in biological control programs, possibly preying on some pests that attack economically important crops to men. This way, this study aimed to assess some biological features and processes related to hierarchy formation on P. versicolor colonies as well, in order to see their relationship with foraging activities. This work's outcomes show what many other studies have seen; queens found their nests either alone or in groups, and nest foundations are asynchronic, which can occur from August to April. One winter aggregation was observed during the cold season (May - August). Data collection on hierarchy formation and foraging behavior in some nests ensured us to say that the dominant wasp is one of the most aggressive individuals, and also spends most of its time at the comb, without leaving it. Relative age of these queens varied between nests; in some cases they were the oldest, in some the youngest and in some they presented intermediate ages. The trips executed by foragers allowed us to affirm that each resource shows a trend to be collected in specific periods along the day, depending on the colony needs. In average, water trips lasted less than other materials, while returns with animal protein lasted longer. It was not found any kind of relation between the position on ranking of wasps and the type of resource explored by each one. Some prey samples were genetically identified, most of them belonging to order Lepidoptera (7 families). Moreover, other four orders were recognized, ... / Mestre

Orientador: Jaime Maia dos Santos / Coorientador: Ricardo Antonio Polanczyk / Coorientador: Edson Tadeu Iede / Banca: Susete do Rocio Chiarello Penteado / Banca: Wilson Reis Filho / Banca: Antonio Carlos Busoli / Banca: Jose Carlos Barbosa / Resumo: Espécies de pínus são plantadas em vários países e a área plantada no Brasil ocupa atualmente 1.562.782 hectares. O Estado de São Paulo possui 144.802 ha de pínus plantado e junto com os estados da região Sul do país possuem 94% da área brasileira. A principal praga dessa cultura é a vespa-damadeira Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) e está presente em mais de 1.000.000 ha no país. A utilização de métodos silviculturais e controle biológico auxiliam no controle dessa praga. No Brasil ela é considerada sob controle, com relatos esporádicos de surtos. Sendo assim, é importante prever a dispersão e ocorrência de novos surtos da praga para manter sua população controlada. Os objetivos do presente trabalho foram desenvolver uma ferramenta para definir a susceptibilidade de talhões à ocorrência da praga; verificar o controle proporcionado pelos principais inimigos naturais da vespa-da-madeira; e caracterizar morfologicamente a população de Deladenus (=Beddingia) siricidicola presente no Brasil através de microscopia eletrônica de varredura e microscopia ótica. Verificou-se que a metodologia de atribuição de níveis de risco de ocorrência da vespa-da-madeira poderá ser adotada como ferramenta para auxiliar o gerenciamento dos povoamentos de pínus em relação à ocorrência da praga, já que os níveis de risco atribuídos e o ataque efetivamente observados apresentaram relação direta (r=0,5127). A partir dessa metodologia foi desenvolvido uma planilha eletrônica no qual o usuário pode preencher os dados dos talhões de pínus plantado e o nível de risco é calculado automaticamente. Constatouse que o parasitoide I. leucospoides está bem estabelecido na região estudada e proporciona nível de controle em torno de 40% em talhões onde o nematoide não foi aplicado. O nematoide não apresentou alto índice de parasitismo, possivelmente em função da baixa ocorrência da vespa-da-madeira, provocada ... / Abstract: Pine species are planted in various countries and the current area occupied by this crop in Brazil is 1.562.782 hectares. São Paulo State has 144.802 ha of pine stands and in addition to the southern States, they have 94% of the Brazilian area occupied with pine. This crop's main pest is the sirex woodwasp Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) which is present in more than 1,000,000 ha in the country. The employment of silvicultural and biological control methods help in monitoring and controlling such pest and allow to keep it under control, with some outbreaks reported occasionally. This way, the need is to predict the pest's spread and occurrence. Therefore, the objectives in this thesis were develop a tool to define the susceptible of pine stands to the occurrence of the pest; verify the control promoted by the sirex woodwasp's main natural enemies; and morphologically characterize the population of Deladenus (=Beddingia) siricidicola present in Brazil using scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy. We verified the risk-level prediction methodology can be used as a tool to assist the management of the pine stands in relation to the pest's occurence, as the risk-levels attributed and the effectively observed attack presented direct relation (r=0,5127). From this methodology an electronic sheet was developed, in which the user can fill with pine stands data and the risk-level is automatically calculated. We observed that the parasitoid I. leucospoides is well established in the region studied as it promotes a control level around 40% in stands where the nematode was not applied. The nematode didnnot presented a high parasitism, possibly due to the low occurrence of the sirex woodwasp, promoted by the control measures in previous years. Beside this, it was presented morphometric data of the population of D. siricidicola present in Brazil, highlighting some morphological traits not described before, such as the ... / Doutor

Orientador: Edilberto Giannotti / Coorientador: Fábio Santos do Nascimento / Banca: Fábio Prezoto / Banca: Maria Cláudia Guidetti Campos / Banca: William Fernando Antonialli Junior / Banca: Ivan Cesar Desuó / Resumo: As vespas sociais do país estão representadas pelos Polistinae que abrangem 21 gêneros subdivididos nas tribos Mischocyttarini, Polistini e Epiponini. A tribo Mischocyttarini é formada pelo maior gênero de vespídeos sociais, Mischocyttarus, com 245 espécies distribuídas em nove subgêneros. As espécies de Mischocyttarus são consideradas eussociais primitivas, com fundação independente e sem diferenciação morfológica de castas. A espécie estudada, Mischocyttarus (Megacanthopus) parallelogrammus é endêmica do Brasil, sendo que objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar um primeiro estudo envolvendo características da biologia de M. parallelogrammus, de forma a colaborar com as investigações sobre a evolução da eussocialidade nas vespas, analisando aspectos do ciclo colonial, da arquitetura do ninho, da divisão de tarefas, da atividade forrageadora, da hierarquia de dominância e da comunicação química e visual desta espécie. No total foram estudadas 96 colônias de março de 2010 a novembro de 2013. Assim como em outras espécies, M. parallelogrammus apresenta fundações e abandonos durante todo o ano. Os índices de abandono provavelmente estão relacionados com a grande variedade de inimigos naturais observados, sendo que apenas 13,89% do total das colônias estudadas atingiram o estágio de declínio natural. Do restante das colônias observadas, 31,94% foram abandonadas por motivos desconhecidos, 27,78% foram abandonados pela ocorrência de parasitas ou parasitóides, 12,50% foram contaminadas por fungos e 12,50% foram predadas. A fundação das colônias por haplometrose foi predominante (81,94%), mesmo as fundações por associação de fêmeas representando um maior sucesso. O intervalo de desenvolvimento dos imaturos de M. parallelogrammus foi maior que de outras espécies do gênero, sendo que o tempo médio total de desenvolvimento dos imaturos foi de 85,20 dias. As fundadoras de M. parallelogrammus apresentaram um... / Abstract: The social wasps are represented in Brazil by Polistinae, which is arranged in 21 genera divided among the tribes Mischocyttarini, Polistini and Epiponini. The Mischocyttarini tribe represents the largest genus of social wasps, Mischocyttarus, with 245 species distributed in nine subgenres. The species of Mischocyttarus are considered primitive eusocial, of independent foundation and without morphological caste differentiation. The studied species, Mischocyttarus (Megacanthopus) parallelogrammus, is endemic to Brazil, being the objective of this study to conduct a preliminary study involving features of the biology of M. parallelogrammus, in order to cooperate with investigations into the evolution of the eusociality in wasps, by analyzing aspects of the colony cycle, the nest architecture, the labor division, the foraging activity, the dominance hierarchy and the chemical and visual communication of this species. Like in other species, M. parallelogrammus presents foundations and abandonments throughout the year. Abandonment rates are probably related to the wide variety of observed natural enemies, with only 13.89% of the total colonies studied reaching the stage of natural decline. Of the remaining colonies observed, 31.94% were abandoned for unknown reasons, 27.78% were abandoned by the occurrence of parasites or parasitoids, 12.50% were contaminated by fungi and 12.50% were predated. The foundation of the colonies by haplometrosis was predominant (81.94%), even with the foundations of females by association representing greater success. The interval of development of immature M. parallelogrammus appeared greater than other species of the genus, with the average total development time of immatures being 85.20 days. The founders of M. parallelogrammus had an average lifespan of 82.71 ± 53.32 days, 95.81 ± 62.25 days for subordinates and 191.86 ± 91.19 days for dominants. Nests of M. parallelogrammus are attached by a short peduncle... / Doutor

A distinct pattern of obligate mutualism exists between fig tree hosts and their pollinating fig wasps. Normally one section or subsection of fig tree hosts is associated with one fig wasp genus. In general, each species is pollinated by a specific fig wasp species. This led to the hypothesis that the fig wasp and fig tree lineages diverged simultaneously. African fig wasps pollinating hosts of the Galoglychia section frequently break the normal one fig wasp species-to-one host species ratio. The phylogeny for these species was reconstructed using three DNA segments and compared to the morphological classification of their Ficus hosts. Pollinator genera were monophyletic for all analyses, however, the relative positioning of genera was inconsistent. Analyses suggest frequent host jumps between fig trees and fig wasps. Fig wasps of the genus Alfonsiella that pollinate Ficus craterostoma, Ficus stuhlmannii and Ficus petersii are morphologically similar in South Africa. Based on host association, genetic differentiation for this group was investigated. Molecular data indicated that the pollinator of F. craterostoma is a good species, while the F. stuhlmannii and F. petersii pollinators were genetically indistinguishable. Based on molecular data and morphological re-evaluation, a new Alfonsiella species is described, Alfonsiella pipithiensis sp. n. A key to all described species of Alfonsiella is provided. In order to resolve the population genetic differentiation of pollinating fig wasp species in South Africa, Platyscapa awekei was used as a model species. A few studies indicate that pollinating fig wasps can disperse between 30 and 55 kilometers. However, a recent study on two P. awekei populations in South Africa reported an FST value of 0.011, indicating that pollinators disperse approximately ten times further. This study aims to confirm these results with more detailed sampling of populations. In addition, possible temporal differentiation was tested for the South African population. Six microsatellite loci were used to detect spatial and temporal genetic differentiation in seven populations (collected from 2004 to 2006) over a 340 kilometer range. Genetic differentiation between sampled populations was low (FST = 0.0055), however, the data suggest stronger temporal genetic isolation than spatial genetic isolation. / Dissertation (MSc (Genetics))--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Genetics / unrestricted

A striking variation in the behaviour of pollinating fig wasps (Agonidae) is the occurrence of male fighting in some species while in others it is completely absent. Fighting behaviour was investigated at two levels. Firstly, the variation in fighting behaviour between the species was used to examine factors that might cause the evolution thereof. Comparisons across species were done using phylogenetic regression. This method takes similarity due to phylogenetic constraints into account when data are compared. Kin selection theory implies that fighting is barred by the high degree of relatedness in competing males. We however find that the relatedness of the males do not have an influence on the evolution of fighting and this finding supports models suggesting that high LMC cancels benefits due to relatedness. Rather, that the only factor having a significant correlation with fighting is the release sex ratio. The release sex ratio and dispersal is also associated. Fighting and dispersal are not expected to have direct influence on each other and the association of both with the release sex ratio imply that this may be an indirect link between these two behaviours. A syndrome where fighting and dispersal is found together is in part explained by the release sex ratio. We conclude that the release sex ratio is the most likely cause of the evolution of fighting behaviour in pollinating fig wasps. The second part of this study deals with the proximal determinants causing fighting, in the males of the species Platyscapa awekei. We show that the sex ratio which, is less female biased than non-fighting pollinator species, rapidly becomes even less female biased as soon as both sexes becomes active. Numerous fights are fought by the males in the female limited environment. The activity of the wasps is shown to be regulated by the gaseous environment, which change from a high to a low CO2 concentration with the construction of an exit hole from the fig. The males of the species P. awekei are inactive, and do not engage in mating or fighting activities, in high CO2, contrasted to males of other species, which are active in this environment. P. awekei females rapidly release once the CO2 level is lowered and mating behaviour is only observed in this environment. The number of female to male encounters of every male decrease as the operational sex ratio becomes less female biased. Male fighting in this species is therefore expected due to the high sex ratio, which is enforced by the increase thereof. We conclude that the physical environment, in this species, affects the mating environment. The resultant reduction in the number of potential mating opportunities therefore escalates fighting between the males. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Genetics / unrestricted

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2015-12-09T14:08:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 marcelleleandrodias.pdf: 1744229 bytes, checksum: ebdd44aa0c6ad443f4b47401fc2106ae (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2015-12-09T14:55:36Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 marcelleleandrodias.pdf: 1744229 bytes, checksum: ebdd44aa0c6ad443f4b47401fc2106ae (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-09T14:55:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 marcelleleandrodias.pdf: 1744229 bytes, checksum: ebdd44aa0c6ad443f4b47401fc2106ae (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-25 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Dentre os grupos de insetos associados às bromélias, encontram-se as vespas sociais. Estudos que verificam se plantas são um substrato adequado para nidificação destas vespas e quais espécies de vespas as utilizam ainda são escassos. Trabalhos dessa natureza ajudam a compreender a escolha do local de nidificação, que é um elemento muito importante na defesa por ocultamento, a fim de proteger a prole contra predação. Além disso, apresentam um crescente interesse como agentes polinizadores e atuam como visitantes florais sobrepondo-se às abelhas na exploração dos recursos em áreas tropicais. Apesar da elevada importância ecológica, ainda existe pouco conhecimento sobre muitos aspectos que envolvam a associação entre vespas e bromélias. Neste contexto, a presente dissertação está estruturada em dois tópicos, onde os estudos foram conduzidos em um fragmento urbano de Floresta Atlântica no município de Juiz de Fora (MG), Sudeste do Brasil. O primeiro tópico teve como objetivos identificar as espécies de vespas que nidificam nas espécies Billbergia horrida Regel e Portea petropolitana (Wawra) Mez e verificar se elas são um bom substrato para esses ninhos. Foi encontrado um total de 34 ninhos de vespas sob as folhagens das bromélias P. petropolitana e B. horrida. As espécies mais frequentes foram Mischocyttarus drewseni com 7 ninhos e indivíduos não identificados da subfamília Eumeninae com 7 ninhos. Entre as duas espécies de bromélia, P. petropolitana foi considerada um bom substrato de nidificação para as vespas levando em consideração a análise do sucesso dos ninhos. O segundo tópico trata da identificação das espécies de vespas que compõem a parcela de visitantes da bromélia P. petropolitana e descreve os comportamentos exibidos durante a visitação. Duas espécies de vespas foram registradas utilizando recurso floral de P. petropolitana: Polybia platycephala (Richards) e Agelaia vicina (De Sausurre) em meio à presença de formigas e abelhas. Cinco atos comportamentais foram observados durante a visitação das vespas: pouso em flor, procura pela fonte de néctar, retirada do recurso, autolimpeza e saída da flor. Em suma, este trabalho pode servir de base para novos estudos que abordam um número maior de registros para ampliar o conhecimento sobre aspectos da biologia das bromélias e principalmente do comportamento das vespas, sugerindo assim, a conservação das mesmas que são peças importantes para a manutenção do ambiente onde se encontram. / Social wasps are among the insect groups associated to the bromeliads. Studies dealing with the potential of plants be a suitable substrate to nesting of social wasps are scarce. Such studies contribute to the comprehension of the choice of nesting site, which is a very important element in defense by hiddenness, in order to protect the offspring against predation. Besides, these insects present a growing interest as pollinating agents, acting as floral visitors and overlapping the bees in the exploitation of resources in tropical areas. Despite the high ecological importance, little is know about the aspects involving the association between wasps and bromeliads. So, the present dissertation is structured in two topics, and the studies were conducted in an urban fragment of Atlantic Forest of the municipality of Juiz de Fora (MG), Southeastern Region of Brazil. The first topic aimed to identify the species of wasps that nest in the bromeliads Billbergia horrida Regel and Portea petropolitana (Wawra) Mez and verify if these plants represent a good substrate to the nests. A total of 34 nests of wasps were found below the leaves of P. petropolitana and B. horrida. The most frequent species were Mischocyttarus drewseni (De Sausurre) and unidentified specimens of the subfamily Eumeninae with seven nests, each. Among the bromeliad species, P. petropolitana was considered a good nesting substrate to the wasps, taking in account the analysis of success of the nests. The second topic deals with the identification of the species of wasps that visit the bromeliad P. petropolitana and describes the exhibited behavior during the visitation. Two species of wasps were recorded using floral resources of P. petropolitana: Polybia platycephala (Richards) and Agelaia vicina (De Sausurre), besides ants and bees. Five behavioral acts were observed during the visitation of the wasps: landing on flower, searching for the nectar source, removal of the resource, self cleaning and leave the flower. In summary, this study can be a base to new studies that approach a larger number of records in order to enhance the knowledge about aspects of the biology of bromeliads and mainly about the behavior of the wasps, suggesting its conservation, which are important part for the maintenance of the environment where live.