Social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) of Minas Gerais, Brazil: richness and distribution

In Minas Gerais state there are three biomes, the Cerrado, the Atlantic Forest and the Caatinga, which are home to significant biological diversity, including social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae). These biomes have suffered significant losses of their original cover due to anthropogenic actions, making it important to understand insect distribution such as social wasps, which justifies carrying out inventory studies. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the species richness and distribution of social wasps in Minas Gerais based on a literature review, as well as to add information for an unprotected and transitional area of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest in the municipality of Luminárias, southern Minas Gerais. Our results show that there are inventories in 32 locations in Minas Gerais, both inside and outside Conservation Units (CUs), with a higher concentration in the Atlantic Forest. In total, 118 social wasp species are recorded in the state, and most of them, 74, are considered rare, i.e. occurring in less than 20% of the localities. The Caatinga, along with the protected areas in the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest in the eastern and northeastern parts of the state, is under-sampled. The municipality of Luminárias, despite not being located in a UC, has a considerable richness of rare species, two of which have only been previously recorded in Conservation Units. This allows us to infer that this municipality is home to a relevant vespid fauna for the state, corroborating other studies that suggest the creation of a UC for the region.