Development and nesting behaviour of trap-nesting wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae)

Since Hymenoptera Aculeate are known to be bioindicators, which are sensitive to environment change, fragmentation of habitats and antropogenous impact, these insects may have an importance in environment conservation. The purpose of our study was to establish impact of nesting cavity parameters and prey abundance on the nesting behaviour of solitary xylicolous wasps. We studied nest structure and the influence of nesting cavity width and length on progeny size and sex ratio in 13 wasp species. The development of the most common synanthropic xylicolous wasp in Lithuania, Symmorphus allobrogus, has been investigated: the assimilation of prey and weight loss during development from larva to adult in both sexes have been compared. Results of a laboratory experiment using S. allobrogus as a model species demonstrated that the amount of prey available in the environment affects the number of cells in the nest of solitary wasp. The list of solitary Hymenoptera inhabiting trap-nests in Lithuania are presented