Polistes (Epicnemius) rufiventris Ducke, 1904

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 : 533

Polistes (Epicnemius) rufiventris Ducke, 1904

( Figs 71, 72 )

Polistes rufiventris Ducke, 1904: 366 (key), 371, ♀.

Diagnosis. Female. Body pigmentation dark brown, with metasoma brown. Wings pigmentation dark brown to black. Intermediate size, about 17 mm in total length. Clypeus long than it is wider, with long bristles located only in the inferior region, and with medium-sized and deep punctures, pointed apex, clypeus-eye touching for an extent smaller than width of antennal socket; central region of the gena with dilated width, much wider than the eyes; occipital carina strong, extending through entire gena; humeri not projecting; mesepisternum with short and dense bristles, small and shallow punctation; propodeal concavity widely extended in the center, propodeal striae absent; 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 the females, except for the presence of yellow spots on the femur and hind; and the hyaline wings, with light brown costal region.

Material examined. 4♀, 1♂ in total. Brazil: Amazonas , 1♀ [Paralectotype], 1♂ ( MNHN); Mato Grosso , 1♀ ( NHM); Pará , ♀ [Lectotype] ( MNHN) , 1♀ ( MZSP) .

Distribution. Brazil: Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia; Colombia; Guyana; Ecuador; Peru; Bolivia.

Figures

FIGURES 69–76. Polistes spp. 69, 70. P. (Epicnemius) pacificus Fabricius. 71, 72. P. (E.) rufiventris Ducke. 73, 74. P. (E.) subsericeus de Saussure. 75, 76. P. (E.) testaceicolor Bequaert. 69, 71, 73, 75. Dorsal view. 70, 72, 74, 76. Lateral view. Scale bars: 5 mm.