Morfologia Comparada de vespas solitárias do gênero Minixi Giordani Soika (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae)

Abstract

Vespidae have more than 5000 species recognized so far, with wide distribution and high species richness. Due to the high species richness and the great morphological diversity, poorly explored, studies on the variability and morphological diversity within the main lineages (subfamilies) of vespids are necessary. Among these, the subfamily Eumeninae stands out with more than 3,700 species described so far, being the largest and most diverse lineage within the Vespidae, concentrating the great contingent of morphological diversity of the group. However, representative morphological studies for the wasps Eumeninae are scarce and necessary. Thus, this study arose as an initiative to explore, in an evolutionary context, the comparative and descriptive morphology of one of the main lineages of the subfamily Eumeninae (Hymenoptera, Vespidae). Minixi is one of these lineages that has been studied, with recently proposed and known taxonomy and phylogeny, and is thus an important model for morphological studies in the subfamily. This work has as one of the goals the morphological knowledge about the species of the genus Minixi that can be expanded to the entire subfamily. Morphological characters not previously used in the systematics of the group were explored and described, such as structures of the head, mouthparts and the stinging apparatus. Potential characters for phylogenetic analysis were also proposed for the subfamily, as well as two new adapted clarification protocols for morphologically similar groups, for the structures of the head and sting apparatus, and the proposed standardization of terminology for the morphological structures studied. The specimens were clarified and the structures of interest were observed using stereomicroscope. Posteriorly, more detailed analyses were performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), where electromicrographs of the parts of the mouthparts were obtained. The research resulted in the production of two chapters, presented in the form of manuscripts, being: Article I: “Descriptive and comparative morphology of the head and mouthparts of the species of Minixi Giordani Soika, 1978 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae)”, written in english; and Article II: “Descriptive and comparative morphology of the sting apparatus Minixi Giordani Soika, 1978 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae)”.