The subgenus Epicnemius Richards, 1973

Epicnemius Richards, 1973: 96, 102, ♀, ♂.

Type species. Polistes bicolor Lepeletier, 1836, by original designation.

Diagnosis (based on Richards 1973, Somavilla et al. 2021b). Body of moderate to large size, 10–25 mm in length. Species with varying pigmentation: black or yellowish, with extensive spots on mesosoma and metasoma. Malar space slightly wider than long. Clypeus in female touching eye for an extent equal or greater than diameter of antennal socket; in male usually touching eye except for P. thoracicus Fox, 1898 . Pronotal fovea usually present, sometimes absent. Epicnemial carina complete and strongly distinct. Mesepisternal dorsal groove usually absent, when present is incomplete. Propodeal striae weak, sometimes evanescent, rarely with stronger striae restricted to central concavity. Tergum I conical, longer than wide, gradually widened in lateral view. Last sternum in male without tubercles. Male genitalia with aedeagus slender, teeth on the apical portion reduced or evanescent, penis valve little dilated and not or only weakly bilobed, digitus with developed apical process and rounded anteroventral lobe.

Species included. 25 species, of them 22 in Brazil.

Distribution. Exclusively Neotropical.