Polistes (Aphanilopterus) cavapyta de Saussure, 1853

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 : 514

Polistes (Aphanilopterus) cavapyta de Saussure, 1853

( Figs 11, 12 )

Polistes cavapyta de Saussure, 1853: 87 , ♀, ♂.

Diagnosis. Female. Body pigmentation yellowish to faintly brown. Wing pigmentation reddish to brown. Large size, usually greater than 25 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, with medium-sized and deep punctures, 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 slightly projecting; mesepisternum with short 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, with weak, medium, and deep punctation; tergum II wider or as wide as long; with short bristles, weakly punctate. Male. Similar to females, except for clypeus with dense and long bristles and yellow mandibles.

Material examined. 10♀, 2♂ in total. Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul , 5♀ ( NHM) , 3♀ ( AMNH) , 2♀, 2♂ ( CESC) .

Distribution. Brazil: Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul; Paraguay; Argentina.

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.