Natural history and behavior of a primitively social wasp,Auplopus semialatus, and its parasite,Irenangelus eberhardi (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae)

Abstract

Two to eight females of a neotropical, primitively social wasp, Auplopus semialatus(Pompilidae), cooperatively build and maintain mud nests. Females capture non-web-building spiders as provisions for their offspring. Cohabiting females are usually tolerant of one another and defend the nest against natural enemies, including the cleptoparasitic wasp, Irenangelus eberhardi(Pompilidae). They often become intensely competitive, however, when a spider is brought to the nest. Auplopusfemales steal spiders from both uncapped and newly capped cells and eat the previous owner's egg. Many observations highlight the primitive level of sociality in this species, and the discussion relates these observations to those based on other primitively social wasps.