Polistes (Epicnemius) thoracicus Fox, 1898

Brito, Samanta, Oliveira, Marcio L., Carpenter, James M. & Somavilla, Alexandre, 2024, The genus Polistes Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) of Brazil: morphological diagnoses, identification key, and geographical distribution, Zootaxa 5496 (4), pp. 509-545 : 535-536

Polistes (Epicnemius) thoracicus Fox, 1898

( Figs 77, 78 )

Polistes thoracicus Fox, 1898: 447 , ♀, ♂.

Diagnosis. Female. Body pigmentation brown with largely black mesospisternum. Wings pigmentation yellowish to light brown. Big size, usually more than 25 mm in total length. Clypeus long than wider, with long bristles located only in the inferior region, and small and shallow punctures in the lower region, apex pointed, clypeus-eye slightly separated; gena width at midlength equal to or slightly wider than eye; occipital carina strong, extending through entire gena; humeri not projecting; dorsal groove incomplete; mesepisternum with short and dense bristles, small and shallow punctation; propodeal concavity widely extended in the center, propodeal striae strong in the center and weak on the sides; tergum I longer than wide, with short and dense bristles, and strong, medium sized, and deep punctures; tergum II wider than or as wide as long, with short and dense bristles, and strong punctures.

Male. Similar to females except for yellowish face, coxae and posterior tarsal region, may be clear than the body, propodeum with weak striae.

Material examined. 4♀, 1♂ in total. Brazil: Brasília , 2♀ ( NHM); Goiás , 1♀ ( MZSP) , 1♀, 1♂ ( NHM) .

Distribution. Brazil: Distrito Federal, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Pará; Paraguay.

Figures

FIGURES 77–86. Polistes spp. 77, 78. P. (Epicnemius) thoracicus Fox. 79, 80. P. (E.) torresae Silveira. 81, 82. P. (Onerarius) carnifex (Fabricius). 83, 84. P. (Palisotius) major Palisot de Beauvois. 85, 86. P. (P.) paraguayensis Bertoni. 77, 79, 81, 83, 85. Dorsal view.78, 80, 82, 84, 86. Lateral view. Scale bars: 5 mm.