Author: Weaving, A.J.S.
Title: Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums. Volume 19. Part 4. A Comparison of Nesting Success and Nesting Habits in Some Afrotropical Aculeate Wasps, with Particular Reference to Nest Parasites (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae, Eumenidae).
Description: Cape Provincial Museum, Albany Museum, Grahamstown, Natural History. Volume 19. Part 4. 28th April 1995. Stapled wraps, p181-p224. illustrated. 184mm wide x 240mm high. New unread copy. Nest structure, nesting behaviour, nesting success and nest mortality factors of 11 species of aculeate wasps were compared. It was concluded that nesting success depended largely on the activities of parasites. Overall nesting success as measured by the proportions of successful cells differed in only one of the species. The most important identifiable causes of nest/cell failure were attacks by Miltogramminae (Diptera), Chrysidae and Eulophidae (Melittobia sp.) (Hymenoptera) with the addition of Osprynchotus sp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in aerial mud nests. The unique nesting habits of each aculeate species provided protection only against specific types of parasites and success was therefore affected by the interaction between nesting habits and the size and species composition of parasite populations.

Keywords: albany museum grahamstown eastern cape provincial museum south southern africa african entomology insects wasps hymenoptera eumenidae


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