Polistes (Epicnemius) actaeon Haliday, 1836

(Figs 37, 38)

Polistes actaeon Haliday, 1836: 323, ♀.

Diagnosis. Female. Black with yellow spots and wings hyaline to fuscous. Relatively small size, maximum 15 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, present only in the apical region, 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 to middle of the eye; humeri slightly projecting; mesepisternum with short bristles, and small and shallow punctation; propodeal concavity and striae absent; tergum I longer than wide, with short and dense bristles, punctures strong, medium sized, and, deep; tergum II as wide as long or wider than long, with short bristles, weakly punctate. Male. Similar to females, except for the propodeum with concavity present, widely extended in the center and with fine striae.

Material examined. 21♀, 3♂ in total. Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, 1♀, 1♂ (AMNH), 5♀ (MNHN); Rio Grande do Sul, 2♀ (NHM), 1♀ (CESC); Santa Catarina, ♀ [Holotype] (NHM), 9♀, 2♂ (AMNH); São Paulo, 1♀ (MZSP), 1♀ (NHM) .

Distribution. Brazil: Distrito Federal, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo; Paraguay; Argentina.