Amolin A.V., Ogol I.N. 2019. [Trophic relations of wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) with flowering plants (Magnoliophyta) in Donbass] // Euroasian Entomological Journal. Vol.18. No.5: 365–376 [in Russian, with English summary].
State educational institution of higher professional education «Donetsk national university», faculty of biology, Shchors Str. 46, Donetsk 283050. E-mail: a.amolin@mail.ru, ylyaogol@mail.ru
doi: 10.15298/euroasentj.18.5.11
ABSTRACT. The paper presents results of many years of research on food relations of vespid wasps with flowering plants in Donbass. Food relations were registered for 40 species of vespid wasps from 19 genera and 3 subfamilies (Eumeninae — 34 species, Polistinae — 3 species, Vespinae — 3 species) with 110 species from 88 genera and 39 flowering plant families. In most of the noted plant species (96 species), vespid wasps feed on nectar. In 5 species of herbaceous and woody plants, polistine wasps and vespine wasps fed on sap from damaged plant tissues. In two species (namely Acer tataricum and Cirsium ukranicum) insects fed on nectar and sap. In nine plant species, nutrition with juicy fruit pulp was noted. According to the number of food plant species on which nectarivore wasps fed on, the leading families are Apiaceae (16 species from 13 genera) and Asteraceae (16 species from 12 genera). According to the number of wasp species recorded during nectar feeding, leading families are Apiaceae and Asteraceae (23 and 21 wasp species from 10 and 11 genera and 3 subfamilies, respectively), as well as Euphorbiaceae (18 wasp species from 11 genera and 2 subfamilies). Nectar feeding of polistine wasps (Polistinae) was recorded on 65 flowering plant species from 55 genera and 28 families, eumenine wasps (Eumeninae) was registered on 53 flowering plant species from 44 genera and 22 plant families, of vespine wasps (Vespinae) was noted on 15 flowering plant species from 13 genera and 6 families. A small number of food plant species for vespine wasps can be associated with explicit carnivore nature of these wasps and the well-developed larval-imaginal trophollaxis. Wasps of all three subfamilies often feed on flowers with readily available nectar, and can act as non-specialized pollinators of a number of medicinal and vegetable plants. In some plants with inaccessible nectar, we noted biting of flower corollas with certain species of eumenine wasps and polistine wasps, as well as feeding on sweet secretions of extrafloral nectaries. In addition to the direct food connections of vespid wasps with flowering plants, we also noted mediated connections, namely feeding on sweet secretions of Homoptera insects. Representatives of all three subfamilies feed on honeydew secretions of aphids.
KEY WORDS: vespid wasps, Donbass, food plants, food relations.