Polybia sericea (Olivier, 1792) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) predated by Thomisidae (Araneae) in an area of ​​campo rupestre, Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil

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Polybia sericea (Olivier, 1792) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) predated by Thomisidae (Araneae) in an area of ​​campo rupestre, Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil

Summary

Trophic interactions between predators play a fundamental role in ecological regulation and ecosystem stability. Social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae), such as Polybia sericea (Olivier, 1792), are predators and potential pollinators, but are also subject to predation by various taxa, including spiders. This study records, for the first time, the predation of P. sericea by a spider of the Thomisidae family in a rocky field in the Pico do Itambé State Park (PEPI), Minas Gerais, Brazil, on September 12, 2024. The event was observed on a shrubby Fabaceae species during its fertile period, where the spider may have used camouflage to capture the social wasp. This record raises questions about the occasional nature of predation of social wasps by ambush spiders, especially on plants that provide food resources for these insects. Furthermore, predation can be considered a case of intraguild competition, as both species can exploit the same food resources. Future studies should investigate the frequency of this trophic interaction in rocky fields and its possible ecological impacts, especially on social wasps, due to the many ecosystem services they provide.

Simões Silva, ML, Igor Henrique da Silva, Guerra Rebelo Amaral, L., Jacques, G. de C., & Magalhães de Souza, M. (2026). Polybia sericea (Olivier, 1792) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) preyed upon by Thomisidae (Araneae) in a rocky field area, Minas Gerais, Southeast Brazil. Acta Biológica Catarinense , 13 (2), 4–9. https://doi.org/10.21726/abc.v13i2.2804