RESUMO Um ninho de Megachile (Moureapis) benigna Mitchell, 1930 (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) foi coletado usando ninhos-armadilha em um fragmento de floresta (bioma Mata Atlântica) em uma área urbana no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, em outubro/2017. A arquitetura do ninho e o alimento larval são apresentados fornecendo dados iniciais para o manejo e conservação desta espécie nas cidades.

ABSTRACT One nest of Megachile (Moureapis) benigna Mitchell, 1930 (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) was collected using trap-nests in a forest fragment (Atlantic Forest biome) into an urban matrix in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in October/2017. The nest architecture and larval food are presented providing initial data for management and conservation of this species in cities.

Abstract We describe some structural aspects of the nest and the female's behavior in building and provisioning it of Megachile (Ptilosarus) microsoma. This species has been recorded to Bolivia, Brazil, Guiana, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago and this is the first record of nesting for the species.

Resumen Se describen aspectos estructurales del nido y del comportamiento de construcción y aprovisionamiento por parte de una hembra de Megachile (Ptilosarus) microsoma. Esta especie se ha reportado para Bolivia, Brasil, Guyana, Perú y Trinidad y Tobago y es la primera vez que aspectos de su nidificación son observados y reportados.

Abstract Urban areas, as cities, are frequently overlooked as refuges for the native fauna. However, these places may support several species and house relevant biodiversity contributing to important ecosystemic functions. Wasps and bees (Hymenoptera: Apocrita) are important faunistic elements acting as predators/parasitoids and pollinators, respectively. Therefore, they must be surveyed and inventoried for conservation purposes, especially in cities located in the Atlantic Forest domain, a ravaged Brazilian biome. Accordingly, this study presents a species list of trap-nesting bees and wasps that occurs at the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. The survey was conducted using the trap-nest method. Three types of trap-nests were offered totalizing 1,038 traps: rubber hose, bamboo cane and plastic straw. The plastic straw traps were the most effective followed by the bamboo cane ones at attracting nesting wasps and bees. Between April/2017 and February/2019, 12 foundress species built nests: Tetrapedia curvitarsis (Apidae) (33 nests), Hylaeus sp. (Colletidae) (6), Auplopus cf. rufipes (Pompilidae) (5), Trypoxylon sp. (Crabronidae) (4), Pachodynerus nasidens (Vespidae) (3), Auplopus cf. brasiliensis (Pompilidae), Megachile benigna and Megachile sp. (Megachilidae), Euglossa pleosticta, Euglossa sp., and Eufriesea sp. (Apidae) and Penepodium sp. (Sphecidae) all with one nest. Also, four natural enemies were recorded: Chaenotetrastichus neotropicalis (Eulophidae), Gasteruption brachychaetum (Gasteruptiidae), Caenochrysis crotonis (Chrysididae) and Amobia sp. (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). Most bee nests were restrained to the matrix forest and nearby areas, whereas wasps built their nests predominantly in open areas. Regarding seasonality, bees tended to nest in the summer and early autumn influenced by mean temperature, in contrast of wasps that nested in late autumn, winter and spring, influenced by pluviosity. Besides many rare species, which suggests environmental disturbance, the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro showed a fairly diverse fauna and shows how forest fragment in cities may harbour important representatives of the native fauna.

Abstract There are few studies dedicated to the natural history of Neotropical spider wasps (Pompilidae). When it comes to urban areas, the knowledge on these wasps is even scarcer. This study sheds light on the natural history of Auplopus cf. rufipes and A. cf. brasiliensis (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Ageniellini) from an urban Atlantic Forest fragment in the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil. Auplopus cf. rufipes displays a multivoltine pattern and frequently nests in bamboo canes scattered in the open areas, whereas A. cf. brasiliensis is a rare sight, with only a single nest collected from a hose trap-nest. Females of the former species show aggressive behaviour, which suggests a solitary lifestyle. Their nests were partly enveloped in a complex structure, similar to other species that build free-standing, unconcealed nests and display some degree of sociality. Such behaviour could not be observed for A. cf. brasiliensis. Despite that, nests of both species were built using mud pellets, though the brood cells differed regarding arrangement and position in the trap. Two parasites were found attacking the cells: Caenochrysis crotonis (Chrysididae) in a cell of A. cf. rufipes, and Chaenotetrastichus neotropicalis (Eulophidae) in two cells of A. cf. brasiliensis, both recorded for the first time. Auplopus cf. rufipes was found to prey on Frigga cf. quintensis (Salticidae), the first record of this genus as a host of Auplopus.

Abstract Megachile Latreille is a conspicuous genus of solitary bees distributed worldwide. However, the biology of tropical species is still little known. We present data on biology of Megachile brasiliensis Data Torre, Megachile sejuncta Cockerell and Megachile stilbonotaspis Moure found in two remnants of eastern Amazonian forest in northeastern Brazil. The study was conducted using the trap-nest methodology in two different areas during four periods. We collected a total of 24 nests of M. brasiliensis, 26 of M. sejuncta and 28 of M. stilbonotaspis. The differential abundance of collected nests may reflect the population size in each sampled place. The nesting activity was concentrated mainly between July and January and species presented a multivoltine pattern, except for M. sejuncta, which was partly univoltine. Assessed pollen use showed a predominant use of Attalea sp. (Arecaceae) and, for M. stilbonotaspis, Tylesia sp. and Lepidaploa sp. (Asteraceae). Babassu is a very common palm in the studied areas and the studied species seem to have a strong link with it. We also reported change of pollen use by M. sejuncta, probably due to competition with M. brasiliensis, which may have influenced the biased sex ratio observed in M. sejuncta toward males. Parasites reported here were also recorded for other Megachile species, such as Coelioxys, Brachymeria, Meloidae and Pyralidae species. Mites were observed in association with M. stilbonotaspis. The data presented here set up a background that encourages new studies on the ecology of these three Amazonian species, providing tools for proper biodiversity management and conservation.

ABSTRACT Bees have a diversified natural history, thus the methods applied to study such diversity are varied. When it comes to studies of nesting biology, bees which nest in pre-existing cavities have been reasonably well studied since researchers started using trap-nests. However, bees whose nests are built underground are poorly studied due to the difficulty of finding natural nesting areas and the absence of a method that facilitates bee nest excavation. The latter is evidenced by the lack of accurate descriptions in literature of how nests are excavated. In this study we tested cylindrical rubber refills of eraser pen as a new material to be used as a tracer of underground nest galleries in a natural nesting area of two species of Epicharis Klug, 1807 (Apidae). We compared this technique directly with plaster in powder form mixed with water and our results with other methodological studies describing alternative methods and materials. The rubber refill technique overcame the main issues presented by materials such as plaster, molten metal alloys and bioplastic, namely: death of the organisms by high temperatures and/or formation of plugs and materials unduly following the roots inside the galleries.