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Abstract <p>Floodplain forests are naturally fragmented ecosystems shaped by seasonal hydrological dynamics, yet their role in structuring insect communities, particularly social wasps, remains poorly understood. We investigated the community structure of social wasps across 44 floodplain forest fragments in Rio Ivinhema State Park, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Using both passive and active sampling, we evaluated the effects of foraging site (forest vs. matrix), vegetational successional stage, and fragment size on species richness and assemblage composition. We recorded 953 individuals belonging to six genera and 17 species, with <i>Agelaia pallipes</i> as the dominant species. Species richness did not differ significantly between forest and matrix habitats, nor was it directly influenced by successional stage. Fragment size showed a marginally positive effect on species richness, particularly in recovering forests. Species composition varied across successional stages, suggesting the influence of environmental filtering. Our findings indicate that, despite the ecological plasticity of social wasps, their assemblages respond to variation in habitat structure across floodplain landscapes. The relationship between fragment size and species richness appears to be context-dependent, being more pronounced in early stages of forest regeneration, reinforcing its importance in shaping community patterns.</p> Implications for insect conservation <p>These results suggest that conservation in floodplain ecosystems should prioritize larger forest fragments, especially in early-successional stages, while maintaining habitat heterogeneity between forest and matrix environments. This may promote the persistence of social wasps and the ecological functions they provide.</p>

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Bigger and sooner: fragment size boosts social wasp diversity in early-successional floodplain forests

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月8日

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  • João Marcos Gomes Leite,
  • Josué Raizer,
  • Lucas Ortega Martins,
  • Viviana de Oliveira Torres

摘要

Abstract

Floodplain forests are naturally fragmented ecosystems shaped by seasonal hydrological dynamics, yet their role in structuring insect communities, particularly social wasps, remains poorly understood. We investigated the community structure of social wasps across 44 floodplain forest fragments in Rio Ivinhema State Park, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Using both passive and active sampling, we evaluated the effects of foraging site (forest vs. matrix), vegetational successional stage, and fragment size on species richness and assemblage composition. We recorded 953 individuals belonging to six genera and 17 species, with Agelaia pallipes as the dominant species. Species richness did not differ significantly between forest and matrix habitats, nor was it directly influenced by successional stage. Fragment size showed a marginally positive effect on species richness, particularly in recovering forests. Species composition varied across successional stages, suggesting the influence of environmental filtering. Our findings indicate that, despite the ecological plasticity of social wasps, their assemblages respond to variation in habitat structure across floodplain landscapes. The relationship between fragment size and species richness appears to be context-dependent, being more pronounced in early stages of forest regeneration, reinforcing its importance in shaping community patterns.

Implications for insect conservation

These results suggest that conservation in floodplain ecosystems should prioritize larger forest fragments, especially in early-successional stages, while maintaining habitat heterogeneity between forest and matrix environments. This may promote the persistence of social wasps and the ecological functions they provide.