Social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) play important ecological roles, such as pollination and biological control; however, certain Brazilian biomes, such as the Campo Rupestre, remain under-sampled. In this context, the present study aimed to inventory the community of these insects in a Campo Rupestre area associated with Atlantic Forest vegetation in the Pico do Itambé State Park, southeastern Brazil. Complementary sampling methods (active search, attractive traps, and Malaise trap) were employed over the course of one year. A total of 50 species from 10 genera were recorded, including three new records for the state of Minas Gerais. The high species richness observed is likely related to the region’s environmental complexity, altitudinal variation, and vegetation mosaic. These findings highlight the importance of conservation units located in ecotonal zones as priority areas for the conservation of the Neotropical social wasp fauna.
Carvalho et al. (Wed,) studied this question.