Diversity of Polistinae Wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in Fragments of Atlantic Rain Forest With Different Levels of Regeneration in Southeastern Brazil

This study was a survey of eusocial wasps in fragments of Atlantic Rain Forest with different stages of regeneration. To capture the wasps, we used bait traps during the period from 2006 to 2009. During this period 369 social wasps were collected, constituting ten species belonging to four genera. In order to compare these three areas ecological indexes were calculated. Fragments with natural regeneration or restoration program showed the greatest diversity of wasps, being Epiponini wasps the most frequent collected individuals. Some wasp species were more tolerant to disturbance than others. Furthermore, climatic factors affected the presence of wasps in all the fragments, increasing the number of individuals at the summer and autumn where occur the highest temperatures and levels of precipitation. These results explain the importance of natural corridors in adjacent areas with different levels of regeneration.