Polistes (Aphanilopterus) Meunier, 1888

Somavilla, Alexandre, Santos, Bernardo F., Carpenter, James M., Andena, Sérgio Ricardo & Oliveira, Márcio Luiz, 2021, Total-evidence Phylogeny of the New World Polistes Lepeletier, 1836, Paper Wasps (Vespidae, Polistinae, Polistini), American Museum Novitates 2021 (3973), pp. 1-44 : 21

Polistes (Aphanilopterus) Meunier, 1888

Aphanilopterus Meunier, 1888: 302 . Type species: Aphanilopterus vagabundus Meunier, 1888 [= Vespa lanio Fabricius, 1775 ], by monotypy.

Polistarchus Richards, 1973: 94 , 95, 101. Type species: Vespa canadensis Linnaeus, 1758 , by original designation. Syn. n.

INCLUDED SPECIES: P. adelphus , P. annularis , P. apicalis , P. arizonensis , P. aterrimus , P.bahamensis , P. bequaertellus , P. biguttatus , P. binotatus , P. brevifissus , P. buyssoni , P. canadensis , P. cavapyta , P. cavapytiformis , P. comanchus , P. consobrinus , P. crinitus , P. cubensis , P. dominicus , P. eburneus , P. erythrocephalus , P. exclamans , P. ferreri , P. franciscanus , P. goeldii , P. huacapistana , P. incertus , P. infuscatus , P. instabilis , P. kaiababensis , P. lanio , P. lineonotus , P. maranonensis , P. melanotus , P. mexicanus , P. minor , P. myersi , P. ninabamba , P. notatipes , P. oculatus , P. penai , P. peruvianus , P. pseudoculatus , P. ridleyi , P. rufidens , P. satan , P. simillimus , P. stabilinus , P. veracrucis , P. versicolor , P. weyrauchorum , and P. xanthogaster .

DIAGNOSIS: Body of moderate to large size, 10–25 mm in length, some species large, 30 mm in length. Species with varying pigmentation: totally dark brown or black to yellowish, or with extensive yellow or reddish spots. Malar space transverse. Clypeus in female touching eyes for an extent equal or greater than diameter of antennal socket; in males usually touching eyes. Pronotal fovea present but somewhat reduced in some species. Epicnemial carina completely absent. Mesepisternal dorsal groove conspicuous and complete, except for P. penai and P. oculatus in which is weak and incomplete. Propodeal striae varied, sometimes mostly weak, stronger only on central concavity, sometimes strong and extending to propodeal margin. Tergum I longer than wide, gradually widened in lateral view. Last sternum without tubercles. Male genitalia with aedeagus slender, teeth on the apical portion reduced, sometimes medium sized; penis valve dilated and nonbilobed or weakly bilobed, digitus with developed apical process and rounded anteroventral lobe.