Polistes versicolor (Olivier, 1791) nesting in deciduous forest, Northern Minas Gerais State, Brazil (Vespidae, Polistinae)

Abstract

Social wasps use different substrates for nesting, such as plants, rocks, and human buildings, and may adopt different strategies to protect their colony and brood. Here, we report the nesting behavior of Polistes versicolor in the deciduous forest, Northern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The occurrences were recorded during fieldwork from February to December 2021. We found 30 colonies in eight plant species. The statistics demonstrate a preference of this social wasp for the plant Cereus jamacaru Cactaceae, which is used for nestings over a large area. Also, we report the first known record of P. versicolor colonies on the Acacia plumosa, Commiphora leptophloeos, Quiabentia zehntneri, and Ziziphus joazeiro, all of them with thorns. From the preference of P. versicolor for plants with thorns, we conclude this study to reinforce the role of these vegetal structures in protecting the colonies.