Polistes (Polistella) strigosus mimus Bequaert, 1940

Selis, Marco, 2018, Revision of the genus Polistes Latreille (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) in the Philippine Islands, Zootaxa 4531 (4), pp. 507-531 : 522-525

Polistes (Polistella) strigosus mimus Bequaert, 1940

( Figs. 47–53 )

Polistes strigosus var. (or subsp.) mimus Bequaert 1940: 272, ♀, ♂ —“Sibuyan Island, Philippines ” (holotype MCZ).

Diagnosis. This species can be easily differentiated by the strong striation and the angled margin between the dorsal and lateral face of the pronotum ( Fig. 51 ).

Material examined. PHILIPPINES : LUZON: Camarines, Tigaon , V.2015, 1 ♀ (MSVI); Ifugao, VII.2013, 1 ♂ ( MSVI) ; Ifugao, Pola , VIII.2014, 1 ♀ ( MSVI) ; Isabela, Dindin , VIII.2014, 1 ♂ ( MSVI) ; Madela, Disimongal , III.2016, 1 ♂ ( MSVI) ; Madela, Disimongal , IV.2016, 1 ♂ ( MSVI) ; MINDANAO: Agusan, Esperanza , IV.2016, 1 ♀ ( MSVI) ; Compostela, Masara , IV.2014, 1 ♂ ( MSVI) ; Compostela, Masara , V.2014, 1 ♂ ( UDRI) ; Kabanglasan , IX.2014, 1 ♀ ( MSVI) ; Mt. Apo , XI.2013, 1 ♂ ( MSVI) ; Sarrangani, Malungon , XI.2014, 1 ♀ ( MSVI) ; MINDORO: Baco , I.2015, 1 ♀ ( MSVI) ; Baco , III.2015, 1 ♀ ( MSVI) ; Baco , IV.2015, 1 ♀ ( MSVI) ; Baco , VII.2017, 1 ♀ ( MSVI) ; Baco , VIII.2017, 1 ♀ ( MSVI) ; Baco , XI.2 0 17, 1♀ ( MSVI) ; NEGROS: XI.2012, 1 ♀ ( MSVI) ; Dumaguete , IX.2014, leg. Ismael Lumawig, 1♀ ( LDMLC) ; Mt. Kanlaon , XI.2014, 1 ♂ ( MSVI) ; SAMAR: Hinabangan , I.2015, 1 ♀ ( MSVI) .

Distribution. Nepal; Malaysia; Philippine Islands: Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro*, Negros, Samar *, Sibuyan ( Bequaert 1940; Selis 2015).

Remarks. Polistes (Polistella) strigosus actually includes three subspecies, P. s. strigosus Bequaert, 1940 from China, Laos and Taiwan, P. s. atratus Das & Gupta, 1989 from India, and P. s. mimus Bequaert, 1940 from Nepal, Malaysia and the Philippine Islands. It was recorded from Vietnam with a color form that does not match these three subspecies ( Carpenter 1996b; Gusenleitner 2011; Nguyen & Kojima 2014). As stated for P. (P.) stigma, the subspecies category should be revised, but due to the lack of material of the other subspecies a revision cannot be done here; therefore, the subspecies P. s. mimus is maintained in the present paper.

This species in the Philippine Islands is present with four color forms, differentiated by presence and extension of yellow and red markings on meso- and metasoma.

Figures

FIGURES 47–52. Polistes (Polistella) strigosus mimus Bequaert, 1940. 47–51, ♀. 52, ♂. 47–50, Habitus. 51, Pronotum in dorso-lateral view. 52, Apex of antenna in lateral view.

FIGURES 53–56. 53, Polistes (Polistella) strigosus mimus Bequaert, 1940. 54–56, Polistes (Polistella) tenuipunctatus Selis, sp. nov. 54, 56, ♀. 53, 55, ♂. 53, S7 in ventral view. 54, Habitus of holotype. 55, Habitus of male paratype. 56, Head in frontal view.