Polistes (Polistella) wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) from mountainous areas of northern Vietnam, with description of five new species

Abstract

A total of 14 species of subgenus Polistella Ashmead 1904 of genus Polistes Latreille 1802 are recognized in the mountainous areas of northern Vietnam, the eastern margin of the eastern slope of the Himalayas. A key to these species is provided. Five new species are described: P. curcipunctum Nguyen, Kojima & Saito, sp. nov.; P. reliciniclypeus Nguyen, Kojima & Saito, sp. nov.; P. gilvus Nguyen, Kojima & Saito, sp. nov.; P. paco Nguyen, Kojima & Saito, sp. nov.; and P. clandestinus Nguyen, Kojima & Saito, sp. nov. The male of P. dawnae Dover & Rao is described for the first time. Nests of P. lepcha Cameron, P. dawnae Dover & Rao, P. reliciniclypeus and P. gilvus are also described. All of these 14 Polistella species are characterized by having the second metasomal sternum that is basally strongly swollen. Distribution patterns of these 14 Polistella species are discussed. Polistes nipponensis Pérez is newly recorded from Vietnam, P. affinis Gusenleitner, P. horrendus Gusenleitner are newly recorded from northern Vietnam, P. santoshae Das & Gupta is newly recorded from central Vietnam, and P. adustus Bingham is newly recorded from Bhutan. Copyright © 2011 Magnolia Press.