Polistes (Polistella) japonicus de Saussure, 1858

Nguyen, Lien Thi Phuong & Kojima, Jun-ichi, 2014, Distribution and nests of paper wasps of Polistes (Polistella) in northeastern Vietnam, with description of a new species (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae), ZooKeys 368, pp. 45-63 : 49

Polistes (Polistella) japonicus de Saussure, 1858

Polistes japonicus de Saussure, 1858: 260, female, "le Japon" [lectotype in the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, Géneve].

Material examined.

Northeastern provinces: Bac Kan: 4 females, Kim Hy NP, Na Ri, 21°15'N, 106°06'E, alt. ca 270 m, 3−4.VIII.2012, J. Kojima, H. Nugroho et al.; Bac Giang: 2 females, Thanh Son, Son Dong, 21°13'N, 106°45'E, alt. ca 300 m, 1.VII.2010, P.H. Pham; Tay Yen Tu NP, Son Dong, 21°21'N, 106°11'E, P.H. Pham [2 females, alt. ca 200−300 m, 3.VII.2010; 1 female, alt. 150 m, 2.VII.2010]; 1 female, Khe Ro, Son Dong, 17.V.2013, D.D. Tran. Other provinces: Son La: 1 female, 20°50'37"N, 104°40'17"E, alt. ca 950m, Nong Truong, Moc Chau, 2.VII.2013, D.D. Nguyen; Lang Son: 1 female, Bac Son, 21°54'N, 106°19'E, 1.VII.2003, L.X. Truong. Other provinces: Phu Tho: 1 male, 6 females, Xuan Son NP, 21°10'N, 104°58'E, alt. ca 200−600 m, 13−16.VI.2004, L.T.P.Nguyen; 1 female, Xuan Dai, Tan Son, 20.V.2011, P.H. Pham; Ninh Binh: 1 male, 3 females, Cuc Phuong NP, 20°19'N, 105°37'E, 7−9.V.2002, T. V. Hoang; Thanh Hoa: 1 male, 2 females, Lung Cao, Ba Thuoc, 20°28'N, 105°10'E, alt. ca 500 m, 12.VI.2003; 1 female, Hon Can, Van Xuan, Thuong Xuan, 23−24.VIII.2012, L.T.P. Nguyen & T.V. Hoang; Nghe An: Mon Son, Con Cuong 18°56'N, 104°56'E [2 males, 2 females, 22−24.VII.2004, L.T.P. Nguyen; 1 female, 9.VIII.2002; 3 females, 11.VIII.2002; 2 females, 13.IX.2005]; 1 female, Pu Mat NP, 19°6'N, 104°44'E, 26.VII.2004, L.T.P. Nguyen; 1 female, Chau Cuong, Quy Hop, 19°21'N, 105°6'E, 14−19.VII.2004, H.X. Le; 1 female, Chau Thanh, Quy Hop, 19°23'N, 105°2'E, 16.VII.2004, H.X. Le; 1 female, Co Phat, Con Cuong, 18°53'N, 104°52'E, ca 200 m, 22.VII.2006, ISD−c; 1 female, Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, 19°20'N, 104°34'E, 12.VII.2006; Ha Tinh: 4 males, 1female, Son Tay, Huong Son, 18°27'N, 105°20'E, 19−27.V.2004, L.T.P. Nguyen; 1 female, Rao An, Huong Son, 18°34'N, 105°10'E, 20.IV.1998, L.D. Khuat.

Remarks on distribution.

In Vietnam, this species has been recorded in the provinces of Ha Giang, Lai Chau, Hoa Binh, Ha Noi, Thua Thien Hue ( Nguyen and Khuat 2003), Phu Tho, Hai Phong ( Nguyen et al. 2005), Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam ( Nguyen and Ta 2008), Son La ( Nguyen and Pham 2011), Bac Kan, Lang Son, Bac Giang, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh (present study), showing that the species is widely distributed in Vietnam except for southern provinces. This species could occur widely in eastern parts of subtropical and temperate Asia, from Vietnam, through eastern parts of continental China, to Korea and Honshu Island of Japan; its closely related species, Polistes formosanus Sonan may co-occur with this species in Taiwan and only Polistes formosanus is known to occur in the Nansei Islands ( Saito et al. 2007).