Polistes (Aphanilopterus) versicolor ( Olivier, 1792 )

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 : 522

Polistes (Aphanilopterus) versicolor ( Olivier, 1792)

( Figs 35, 36 )

Vespa versicolor Olivier, 1792: 692 , ♀, ♂.

Diagnosis. Female. Body pigmentation dark brown to reddish, with two yellow spots on tergum I and two yellow tracks on propodeum. Wings pigmentation reddish to brown. Intermediate size, about 20 mm in total length. Clypeus slightly wider than long or as long as wide, covered by short bristles at its base becoming long toward the apex, and punctures large and deep in the lower region, apex rounded, clypeus-eye touching for an extent equal to or greater than width of antennal socket; gena width at midlength equal to or slightly wider than eye; occipital carina strong, extending through entire gena; humeri not projecting; mesepisternum with short and dense bristles, and 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, and strong punctures. Male. Similar to the females, except for the central region of the gena which is smaller than the eye and weakly brown wing pigmentation.

Material examined. 109♀, 7♂ in total. Brazil: Amazonas , 1♀ ( INPA); Bahia , 1♀ ( MZSP); Espírito Santo , 1♀ ( MNB); Maranhão , 3♀ ( INPA); Mato Grosso , 6♀ ( AMNH); Pará , 4♀ ( MNHN) , 44♀ ( MNB) , 1♀ ( MZSP) , 1♀ ( NHM) , 2♀ ( ZSM); Paraná , 1♀ ( MNHN); Rio de Janeiro , 6♀, 1♂ ( MNHN); Rio Grande do Sul , 1♀ ( AMNH) , 1♀ ( MNHN) , 3♀ ( CESC); Santa Catarina , 5♀ ( AMNH) , 9♀, 06 ♂ ( MNB); São Paulo , 16♀ ( AMNH) , 1♀ ( MZSP) , 2♀ ( ZSM) .

Distribution. Brazil: Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Distrito Federal, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Tocantins; Costa Rica; Panama; Trinidad; Grenada; Colombia; Venezuela; Guyana; Suriname; French Guiana; Ecuador; Peru; Bolivia; Paraguay; Argentina; Uruguay.

Comments. There are three subspecies, two of which are found in Brazil: P. versicolor kaieteurensis Bequaert and P. versicolor versicolor (Olivier) .

Figures

FIGURES 29–36. Polistes spp. 29, 30. P.(Aphanilopterus) ridleyi Kirby.31, 32. P. (A.) satan Bequaert.33, 34. P. (A.) simillimus Zikán. 35, 36. P. (A.) versicolor (Olivier). 29, 31, 33, 35. Dorsal view. 30, 32, 34, 36. Lateral view. Scale bars: 5 mm.