Polistes (Aphanilopterus) erythrocephalus Latreille, 1813

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 : 516

Polistes (Aphanilopterus) erythrocephalus Latreille, 1813

( Figs 17, 18 )

Polistes erythrocephala Latreille in Humboldt & Bonpland 1813: 96, ♀.

Diagnosis. Female. Body pigmentation dark brown with reddish head. Wings pigmentation dark brown to black metallic. Big size, about 28 mm in total length. Clypeus slightly wider than long or as long as wide, apex rounded, covered by short bristles at its base becoming long toward the apex, and medium-sized and deep punctures, present only in the apical region; clypeus-eye touching for an extent smaller than width of antennal socket; gena width at midlength equal to or slightly wider than eye; occipital carina strong, extending through entire gena; humeri slightly projecting; mesepisternum with short and dense bristles, medium and deep 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 or as wide as long, with short and dense bristles, weakly punctate. Male. Similar to females, except for clypeus with pointed apex.

Material examined. 3♀, 1♂ in total. Brazil: Acre , 1♀ ( NHM); Mato Grosso , 1♀ ( MZSP); Rio de Janeiro , 1♀, 1♂ ( AMNH) .

Distribution. Brazil: Acre, Amazonas, Distrito Federal, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo; Nicaragua; Costa Rica; Panama; Colombia; Ecuador; Peru; Bolivia.

Figures

FIGURES 9–18. Polistes spp. 9, 10. Polistes (Aphanilopterus) canadensis (Linnaeus). 11, 12. P. (A.) cavapyta de Saussure. 13, 14. P. (A.) cavapytiformis Richards. 15, 16. P. (A.) consobrinus de Saussure. 17, 18. P. (A.) erythrocephalus Latreille. 9, 11, 13, 15, 17. Dorsal view. 10, 12, 14, 16, 18. Lateral view. Scale bars: 5 mm.