First record of Polybia scutellaris (White, 1841) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) predation on Thrips tabaci, Lindeman, 1889 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in urban kale cultivation in Southeastern Brazil

Kale is one of the main vegetables cultivated in Brazil due to its high nutritional value. Its leaves are mainly attacked by caterpillars, aphids and thrips, with the chemical control method being the most used in these cases. Predation on Thrips tabaci by the social wasp Polybia scutellaris was recorded in a small homegrown kale crop in southeastern Brazil, and this behavior was monitored for approximately three years. Predation occurred seasonally at the end of each dry season and it appears to be a species-specific interaction involving this particular predator-prey pair. No other social wasps species were observed preying on the thrips individuals during the observations. Our findings provide promising information that could be valuable for potential biological control strategies targeting pests affecting different crops.