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The nests, developmental stages and prey of Anterhynchium gibbifrons. (a) Representative architecture of a nest of A. gibbifrons (cross section; see Fig. 2 for a description of cane orientation). This nest is composed of four brood cells (BC) and four empty cells (EC). All cells are separated by mud walls and the cavity entrance is typically sealed with a double mud plug (DP). (b) An adult female wasp carrying a caterpillar into a bamboo cane. (c) An egg hanging from the ceiling of a brood cell and caterpillars provided by the mother wasp. (d) A middle instar wasp larva feeding on caterpillars in a brood cell. (e) A late-instar wasp larva consuming prey in a brood cell. (f) A wasp prepupa in a brood cell.
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Non-native species pose a threat to native organisms. When non-native and native species are closely related, the former can often competitively exclude the latter. Many studies have focused on competitive exclusion of native insect species by non-native eusocial hymenopterans, including ants, hornets, paper wasps and bees. Although solitary specie...
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Citations
... The high confidence levels in the rules involving V. velutina and native species such as Vespula flaviceps not only indicate a regular pattern of co-occurrence but also hint at underlying ecological interactions. 33,34 This could range from competition to symbiotic relationships, suggesting a dynamic, evolving ecosystem. The moderate to high lift scores in these rules further reinforce the significance of these associations, implying that the presence or absence of one species could have a considerable impact on the distribution and behavior of others. ...
BACKGROUND
The spread of Vespa velutina Lepeletier, 1836 (Asian hornet) in South Korea poses a threat to biodiversity and agriculture. Traditional species interaction models often fail to capture the complexity of invasive species dynamics. This study used association rule learning (ARL) and clustering analyses to explore the interactions of V. velutina with native Vespidae species in South Korea, with the aim of uncovering patterns of coexistence and competition.
RESULTS
Over 4 years (2020–2023), 304 traps were strategically placed across South Korea to collect data on Vespidae species. Our findings showed that Vespula flaviceps, Vespa crabro, and Vespula koreensis were the most frequently encountered species. V. velutina was also widespread, suggesting its successful integration into local ecosystems. The ARL analysis, using the ‘apriori’ algorithm, identified significant co‐occurrence patterns and potential interactions. The rules generated indicated both competitive and coexistent relationships with varying levels of association strength across different regions. Clustering analyses, including hierarchical and k‐means clustering, grouped species based on their occurrence similarities. The distinct clusters formed in the analysis highlighted the unique ecological roles and interactions of V. velutina and other Vespidae species in South Korean ecosystems.
CONCLUSION
This study confirms the successful establishment of V. velutina in diverse South Korean ecosystems and highlights its complex interactions with native species. These findings support the need for nuanced management strategies that consider the intricate ecological relationships of V. velutina. This approach is crucial for the effective management of invasive species and ecosystem conservation. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
... We unfortunately were not able to determine whether A. flavomarginatus hunts for caterpillars of a single or multiple lepidopteran species, although there did not seem to be a shortage of preys during the sampling period based on observations of the nests' contents in the laboratory. However, it is known that previously studied potter wasps typically prey on caterpillars of several species (Itino 1992;Tsujii et al. 2022). Whereas A. flavomarginatus builds its last nests in the flying season around May, the adults that will later emerge during the austral winter most likely will undergo diapause somewhere outside their nests, as reported for other species (Buschini and Buss 2010;Buschini and Bergamaschi 2014). ...
... However, when the mean body masses of both sexes were taken into consideration, it became clear that the investment ratio was, in fact, biased towards females. As with the vast majority of hymenopterans, females of A. flavomarginatus are significantly heavier than their male counterparts (e.g., Harvey and Strand 2003;Arvidson et al. 2018;Ferrari et al. 2022;Tsujii et al. 2022), meaning that the production of the formers requires a higher energy allocation than that of the latters (Fisher 1930). The intersex difference in body mass was so marked that our probabilistic model was able to correctly predict the sex of individuals with an accuracy of 97.6%. ...
This paper provides the first description of the nesting biology of Ancistrocerus flavomarginatus (Brèthes) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae), the only species of the genus found in Brazil. Our trap-nest experiments were conducted in two Mixed Ombrophilous Forest fragments and two adjacent matrices in Guarapuava (Paraná state, Brazil) from August 2017 to July 2018. In each area, we set 192 trap nests divided into six groups of 32 units, totalling 768 trap nests. We obtained a total of 47 nests of A. flavomarginatus, the vast majority of them (43, 91.5%) founded in the forest fragments. Most nests were built in wooden traps with a bore diameter of either 5 or 7 mm (19 nests in each type, 80.8%). Nests comprised 1-12 subcylindrical brood cells arranged linearly and separated from one another by transverse partitions of soil mastic. Larvae consumed 6-10 lepidopteran caterpillars before spinning the cocoon. Ancistrocerus flavomarginatus produced up to 6 annual generations (multivoltinism) and its immature forms were parasitized by chrysidid and ichneumonid wasps. The calculated sex ratio (1.78:1) was statistically biased towards males, but since they (21.3 ± 2.0 mg) were significantly lighter than females (50.9 ± 4.0 mg), the resulting investment ratio (1.34:1) was female biased. Males emerged from more external cells and developed significantly faster (27.2 ± 0.46 days) than females (30.1 ± 0.66 days), hence a case of protandry. We demonstrated that A. flavomarginatus is largely dependent on the Atlantic Rainforest and thus that deforestation poses a critical threat to this important species.
Predators can cause selection that drives the evolution of various anti-predator defenses in prey1,2,3. Some prey species have evolved specific defensive devices, while others simply use body parts that evolved for reasons other than defense to repel predators1. For example, many animal species have strong canine teeth or mandibles to kill prey and to counterattack their enemies1,2,3. Bees and wasps (Insecta: Hymenoptera) use their ovipositors as stings to repel attackers, including humans4. Stinging by injecting venom can cause intense pain and allergic reactions in humans4. Therefore, stinging hymenopterans that are recognized as dangerous have evolved warning signals, such as conspicuous body coloration4. Hymenopteran males, which lack ovipositors, are believed to be harmless, and the males avoid predators by mimicking the females' coloration and behavior4. Here, we report that males of the mason wasp Anterhynchium gibbifrons (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) use sharp genital spines to counterattack predators. A potential predator, the tree frog Dryophytes japonica (= Hyla japonica) (Anura: Hylidae) or the pond frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Anura: Ranidae), was housed with male A. gibbifrons under laboratory conditions. All tree and pond frogs attacked the male wasps. Although all of the pond frogs ate the male wasps, 35.3% of the tree frogs ultimately rejected them. Male wasps were frequently observed to pierce the mouth or other parts of frogs with their genitalia while being attacked. The tree frogs were also housed with male wasps from which the genitalia were removed. All these frogs ate the genitalia-less males. Therefore, male wasps used their genitalia to prevent tree frogs from swallowing them. This study highlights the importance of male genitalia as an anti-predator defense and provides a new perspective for understanding the ecological roles of male genitalia in animals.
