O Parque Nacional da Serra do Divisor (PNSD), localizado a noroeste do Estado do Acre, é considerado uma das áreas de maior diversidade da Amazônia. A importância de se considerar insetos em programas de conservação tem sido muito enfatizada. Vespas solitárias e sociais são componentes muito importantes dos ecossistemas, devido à posição que ocupam nas redes alimentares. Esse trabalho teve como objetivo realizar uma avaliação ecológica rápida da fauna de vespas do PNSD, para subsidiar a elaboração de um plano de manejo do referido parque. A amostragem foi realizada em 12 sítios de coleta, situados no interior de oito tipologias de vegetação. Os insetos foram coletados através de armadilhas Malaise, as quais foram expostas em todos os sítios por 24 horas, totalizando 288 horas de amostragem. Foram consideradas nas análises vespas das famílias Chalcididae, Eucharitidae, Evaniidae, Mutillidae, Pompilidae, Crabronidae e Vespidae. Ao todo, foram coletados 366 indivíduos distribuídos em 40 gêneros e 85 espécies. Os gêneros Ephuta (Mutillidae), Trypoxylon (Crabronidae) e Conura (Chalcididae) foram os mais ricos em espécies. Os sítios localizados na região norte do PNSD, considerada zona intangível e zona primitiva, foram os mais ricos em espécies. Cerca de 65% das espécies foram exclusivas a um único sítio, o que significa que as amostras possuem pequena similaridade faunística. Algumas espécies coletadas são consideradas raras.

The Serra do Divisor National Park (PNSD), located at the northwest of Acre State, Amazonia, is considered an area of great biodiversity. The question of considering insects in conservation programs. Solitary and social wasps are important components of the terrestrial ecosystems due to their position in trophic webs. The present study aimed at making a rapid ecological assessment of the wasps from the PNSD in order to support the elaboration of a conservation and management plan for that park. The insects were sampled in 12 sites located in eight forest types by Malaise traps that operated in each for 24 hours, totaling 288 hours of sampling. The results on the families Chalcididae, Eucharitidae, Evaniidae, Mutillidae, Pompilidae, Crabronidae and Vespidae are presented here. On the whole, 366 wasps were collected representing 40 genera and 85 species. The genera Ephuta (Mutillidae), Trypoxylon (Crabronidae) and Conura (Chalcididae) were the most specious. The sites situated at the northern region of the PNSD, the intangible and primitive zones, were the most species rich. Some collected species were considered rare and about 65% of species were exclusive to only one site. This means that the samples have little faunal similarity.

O trabalho teve como objetivo verificar a abundância, riqueza e a composição da anurofauna em diferentes estágios sucessionais em uma floresta do Acre (10º04'S, 67º37'W) e seu entorno. Os dados foram obtidos entre agosto de 2005 a abril de 2006 em doze parcelas, localizadas em três áreas diferentes da floresta. Em cada área foram escolhidos quatro tipos de ambientes: floresta primária (mata), floresta secundária (capoeira), entorno (matriz) e floresta secundária (sucessão). Observou-se a presença de 27 espécies distribuídas em sete famílias. Maior abundância foi constatada na matriz dois e capoeira três, e a menor na sucessão um. A maior riqueza foi constatada na matriz dois, com o maior número de espécies exclusivas. A abundância de anuros correlacionou-se significativamente com a circunferência das árvores e lianas. A riqueza de anuros correlacionou-se marginalmente com a circunferência das árvores. A maior riqueza em ambientes de capoeiras e matriz pode ser explicada em grande parte pela existência nesses locais de poças d'água, maior heterogeneidade estrutural e poderem constituir estágios intermediários de perturbação. Esses estágios têm sido apontados como fatores que promovem e mantêm níveis elevados de biodiversidade. Ambientes com níveis intermediários de perturbação são importantes para a conservação da anurofauna.

The objective of this work it was verify the abundance, richness, and the anuran composition in plots of vegetation of different succession stages in a forest and the matrix that surrounds it, of Acre (10º04'S, 67º37'W). The sampling was carried out between August 2005 and April 2006 in twelve plots located in three different sites in the forest. In each site four kinds of environments were chosen: primary forest (wood), secondary forest (capoeira), periphery (matrix) and secondary forest (succession). A total of twenty-seven species distributed in seven families was found. Greater abundance was registered in the plots of matrix two and capoeira three and the least in succession one. The richness was greater in matrix two, with the greater number of exclusive species. The abundance of anurans correlated significantly, with the average circumference at the breast height of the trees of the plots. The richness however correlated only marginally, with this structural feature. The larger richness in plots of capoeira and matrix can be explained partially by the existence of temporary ponds and more structural heterogeneity is able constitute intermediary stages in a gradient of perturbation and this can increase the biodiversity. Thus environments with intermediary levels of disturbance are important for the conservation of the diversity of anuran amphibians.

Espécies de vespas e abelhas solitárias que nidificam em cavidades pré-existentes no lenho de plantas integram uma guilda de nidificação e são importantes componentes da maioria dos ecossistemas terrestres. Isso se deve, em parte, ao grande número de interações (e.g. predação e polinização) que mantêm com outras espécies de organismos. Variações espaciais e temporais em sua abundância e riqueza podem estar correlacionadas a alterações na estrutura do ambiente. Uma fase crítica no ciclo de vida de vespas e abelhas solitárias é o período de nidificação. As fêmeas dessas espécies investem a maior parte de seu tempo de vida em construir e aprovisionar seus ninhos. Ao contrário do que ocorre para espécies que nidificam no solo ou fazem seus ninhos expostos, até o momento não houve tentativa alguma de discutir o conjunto de fatores que influenciam o sucesso de nidificação das espécies que nidificam em cavidades pré-existentes no lenho de plantas. Este artigo revê aspectos que afetam a nidificação desses Aculeata, com ênfase em fatores proximais, tais como a disponibilidade e características de cavidades no lenho. Compreender como esses fatores agem sobre a sobrevivência e o sucesso reprodutivo é de grande importância para a conservação e manejo dessas espécies.

Guilds of Aculeate solitary wasps and bees that nest in preexisting cavities in wood are important components of terrestrial ecosystems because they engage in several ecological interactions (e.g. predation and pollination) with other species of plants and animals. Spatial and temporal variations in richness and abundance of solitary wasps and bees can be related to changes in environmental structure and in the diversity of other groups of organisms. The nesting period of these Aculeata is their most critical life cycle stage. Females of solitary wasp and bee species invest relatively more time constructing and provisioning their nests than do females of social species. Differently from species that nest in the soil or construct exposed nests, the main factors affecting the reproductive success of solitary species nesting in preexisting wood holes are still unknown. Our objective is to provide an overview of the role of proximate causes of nesting failure or success among solitary wasps and bees (Aculeata), for designing effective conservation and management strategies for these Hymenoptera.

Records about stingless bee-fungi interaction are very rare. In Brazilian Amazonia, workers of Trigona crassipes (Fabricius, 1793) and Trigona fulviventris Guérin, 1835 visiting two stinkhorn species, Dictyophora sp. and Phallus sp., respectively, were observed. The workers licked the fungi gleba, a mucilaginous mass of spores covering the pileum. Neither gleba residue nor spores were found on the body surface of these bee workers. These observations indicate that these bee species include spores as a complement in their diet. On the other hand, they also suggest that these stingless bees can, at times, facilitale spore dispersal, in case intact spores are eliminated with the feces.

The effects of forest fragmentation on tree-hole nesting solitary wasps and bees were investigated at a site 90 km north of Manaus, Brazil. Wasp and bee faunas were monitored in continuous terra firme forest, forest fragments of 1, 10 and 100 ha, natural gaps in continuous forest and deforested areas. These habitats were studied in terms of abundance, richness, diversity and similarity. The wasps and bees were monitored monthly during June 1988 through June 1990 by means of a trap-nests technique. A total of 1529 nests of wasps of 24 species and 405 nests of bees of 14 species were collected. The number of species of wasps and bees varied little among the habitats. The genus Trypoxylon Latreille, 1796 (Sphecidae) accounted for 79% of wasp nests and Centris Fabricius, 1804 (Anthophoridae) for 56% of bee nests. Wasps showed an overall preference for cleared areas and fragments of 1 ha, whereas bees showed an overall preference for continuous forest and natural gaps. Nevertheless, some species of wasps showed a preference for nesting in continuous forest and some bees a preference for deforested areas. Species found in deforested areas also nested in small size forest fragments. This shows that species occurring predominantly in cleared áreas can also colonize small forest fragments. The diversity of wasps and bees was greater in continuous forest. The composition of wasp and bee faunas of continuous forest was different from that of altered habitats. The similarity between the natural gaps and cleared areas was the smallest. The data suggest that the forest adapted bees are more sensitive to habitai fragmentation than the corresponding species of wasps. It is concluded that the preexisting cavity nesting solitary wasp and bee communities were altered by the forest fragmentation. However, it appears that at least in part, the natural variation in continuous forest could be responsible for the resulte obtained from this study.

A study of four tree-hole nesting bee species of Centris Fabricius, 1804 was conducted between July, 1988 and June, 1990 in isolated and continuous "terra firme" forests at Manaus region. Nests were obtained from wood trap-nests of different diameters and consisted of a linear series of brood cells. Centris dichrootricha (Moure, 1945) and C. terminata Smith, 1874 were the most abundant species. Centris terminata nested principally in gaps and continuous forest and C. dichrootricha in cleared areas and small fragments of forest. More nests were obtained in trap-nests placed at 8 and 15 m height above ground. Nesting activity was more pronounced in the wet season between August and January. Natural enemies are the beetle Tetraonyx Latreille, 1805 and the bees Coelioxys Latreille, 1809, Mesocheira Lepeletier & Serville, 1825 and Mesoplia Lepeletier, 1841. Nest architecture of Centris spp. are described.

Stingless bees were collected between 1984 and 1990 in continuous forest, forest fragments and cleared areas 90 Km north of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Several methods were employed. a total of 54 species of 21 genera were collected including two undescribed species of Plebeia Schwarz, 1938. The most abundant genera were Trigona Jurine, 1807; Melipona Illiger, 1806; Partamona Schwarz, 1939 and Tetragona Lepeletier, 1825. The most abundant species were Trigona crassipes (Fabricius, 1793) and T. fulviventris Guérin, 1835. Fruit fly traps baited with fragrances for euglossine bees showed to be an useful method for stingless bee collection too. The study area showed a great richness in relation to other regions of the world. However the density of nests found from a 100ha area of continuous forest were low (1 nest/6.67ha). The consequences of deforestation on stingless bees populations and of the decrease of these on the forest conservation are also discussed.

The use of a commercial fruit fly trap, baited with atractive compounds, for the collection of male euglossine bees is described. Some of the preliminary results obtained are presented.