External Morphology of Immatures of Mischocyttarus nomurae Richards (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) during the Post-embryonic Development

Agda Alves Rocha,Edilberto Giannotti

doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v63i3.988

Agda Alves Rocha, Edilberto Giannotti

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v63i3.988

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Abstract

The work on this paper aimed to perform the description of the immatures and determine the number of larval instars in the post-embryonic development of Mischocyttarus nomurae Richards, a social wasp which the only works performed were the description of the specie and of the male. Twenty colonies were collected in the city of Rio de Contas, in the region of the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil and there were dimensioned 145 eggs, 349 larvae, 12 pre-pupae and 59 pupae. The eggs presented an average length of 1.03 ± 0.12mm and diameter of 0.40 ± 0.03mm. The average rate of growth of the larvae that presented five instars was 1.49. The width of the cephalic capsule of the larvae was: 1st instar 0.32 ± 0.08, 2nd instar 0.54 ± 0.06, 3rd instar 0.77 ± 0.07, 4th instar 1.05 ± 0.10 and 5th instar 1.55 ± 0.07. The average width of the larvae of 5th instar and pre-pupae were close, where larvae of the 1st instar differed from the egg, being smaller. The average measure of the pupae was 1.85 ± 0.08. The specie presents two abdominal lobes highly projected towards and the first thoracic spiracle is 3.1 times higher than the second one. This is the first work on the biology of the specie.

Highlights

The species Mischocyttarus nomurae was described by Richards in 1978 from two females collected in Fortaleza, Ceará State (CE), Brazil; it was included in the Mischocyttarus cerberus group in a review published by Silveira (2004)
The males of that species were described by Silveira (2004) from samples collected in Lençóis (Chapada Diamantina), Bahia State (BA), Brazil
We describe here the external morphologies of the eggs and immatures of Mischocyttarus nomurae Richards during their post-embryonic development, and determine the number of larval instars of that species

Summary

Introduction

The species Mischocyttarus nomurae was described by Richards in 1978 from two females collected in Fortaleza, Ceará State (CE), Brazil; it was included in the Mischocyttarus cerberus group in a review published by Silveira (2004). Richards (1978) characterized the larvae of Mischocyttarus de Saussure representatives as having the first abdominal sternite with one, two or three lobes strongly projected, first thoracic spiracle twice as long as the others, and mandibles with only a single elongated tooth.

Results

Conclusion