Ecosystem fragmentation negatively affects biological diversity and compromises different environmental services. This situation occurs in two important biomes in Brazil, the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado. There is little information on the effects of fragmentation on animal taxa, including social wasps. It was hypothesized that fragments that are small in size and subject to anthropogenic pressures have reduced social wasp richness and colony numbers. This study aimed to investigate the effect of forest fragmentation on Polistinae richness and colony number at Atlantic Forest and Cerrado sites in southern central Minas Gerais State, southeastern Brazil. The study was conducted in three fragments, Mata do Baú, Cachoeira da Lajinha, and Cachoeira do Padeiro, from October 2020 to March 2021, using active collection to record social wasp species and colony numbers. A total of 42 species and 80 colonies were recorded in the three fragments. Forest fragment size alone did not influence social wasp communities, but communities were significantly affected by a combination of factors, including fragment size, adjacent vegetation, and anthropogenic pressures. Species richness was higher in Mata do Baú and Cachoeira da Lajinha, which did not differ from each other, than in Cachoeira do Padeiro; however, all fragments had exclusive communities. Therefore, an increase in anthropogenic pressure in any of the three fragments may lead to losses in social wasp species.

The Brazilian legal Amazon occupies approximately 61% of its territory, covering a large part of Brazil's biodiversity. This large territorial dimension generates huge gaps in the animal diversity understanding, for example, the poor knowledge regarding the Odonata order. Worldwide, Odonata has almost 6,500 described species, with approximately 1,800 being recorded for the Neotropical region. Data on the Odonata order in the legal Amazon is still scarce, mainly due to its particularities, and little is known about the diversity of dragonflies in some of Brazilian states. Thus, the objective of this study is to present a list of species occurring in the states that make up the Brazilian legal Amazon. The list was made from the analysis of approximately 165 scientific papers, in addition to occurrence records contained in the SiBBr and GBIF databases. 641 species were found, which is equivalent to approximately 69% of the odonatofauna in Brazil. The states with the greatest diversity were Amazonas (n=364), Pará (n=310) and Mato Grosso (n=285). The study also indicated a low level of knowledge of the Odonata order in the states of Tocantins and Maranhão, in addition to the area of ​​the Guianas shields, especially in the states of Amapá and Roraima. Carrying out new inventories and building catalogs is essential for understanding the biodiversity in this region, especially in areas with greater need.

Neoempheria Osten Sacken is a genus of Mycetophilidae that has a life cycle associated with fungi. The genus is diverse in the Neotropical region, with 41 species known from Brazil that are predominantly known in southern and southeastern areas. This study reports on the first record of this genus for Pará state and redescribes Neoempheria bilobata Edwards, which was previously decribed from a male holotype from southern Brazil. We furnished high-resolution images and illustrations, as well as a detailed redescription of this species, based on male and female specimens.