Parasitoids of Polistes lanio lanio (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) larvae in the municipality of seropédica, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

The objective of this research was to study the occurrence and to identify larval parasitoids of Polistes lanio lanio (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) larvae in the municipality of Seropedica, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Seventeen nests of P. lanio lanio with parasitism symptoms (cells destroyed by the queen) were removed from the vespiary of the "Centro Integrado de Manejo de Pragas" of the "Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro", Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, to observe parasitoid emergence from October 2004 to September 2005. One nest with parasitism symptoms was removed every month except in August and September 2005 when they were not observed. These nests, including those without parasitism symptoms, were placed in polyethylene containers. The parasitoids found were: Pachysomoides stupidus (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae),Brachymeria vesparum Delvare & Boucek (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) und Microcharops peronatus (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae). P. stupidus had the highest observed parasitism rate on P. lanio lanio larvae with 61.90% in July 2005. Eighteen other nests from this vespiary were monitored daily from October 2005 to May 2006 and the parasitoids P. stupidus,Microcharops peronatus and Enicospilus sp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Ophioninae), B. vesparum (Hymenoptera:Chalcididae), Exasticolus fuscicornis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Homolobinae) and Apanteles sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Microgastrinae) were found and collected. The queens eliminated parasitized cells and continued to lay eggs.