Community of social wasps (Vespidae) in the Atlantic Forest associated with anthropogenic areas in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

Social wasps perform important ecosystem functions, such as trophic regulation, pollination, and biological control of arthropods. However, the fragmentation and destruction of natural habitats, such as the atlantic forest, can reduce the richness and abundance of these insects, which compromise the ecosystem services they provide. Given this context, the objective of this study was to conduct an inventory of social wasp species in an anthropized area associated with fragments of Atlantic Forest in southern Minas Gerais. The study took place at the school farm of the Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Southern Minas Gerais (IFSULDEMINAS), Inconfidentes campus, in the municipality of Inconfidentes, between October and November 2025. The collections were made through active
research and the use of traps with attractive baits, in addition to a literature review aimed at surveying previous records of the species’ occurrence in the locality. The study recorded 39 species of social wasps, distributed in 11 genera, occurring in the study area. The results indicate that forest remnants play a fundamental
role in maintaining the diversity of social wasps, even in areas under anthropic pressure, which reinforces the importance of conserving these environments for the preservation of the ecosystem services associated with these insects.