Polistes

Tan, Jiang-Li, Achterberg, Kees Van, Duan, Mei-Jiao & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2014, An illustrated key to the species of subgenus Gyrostoma Kirby, 1828 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae) from China, with discovery of Polistes (Gyrostoma) tenuispunctia Kim, 2001, Zootaxa 3785 (3), pp. 377-399 : 378-379

Key to subgenera of the genus Polistes from China

1. Clypeus latero-dorsally extending far above the anterior tentorial pits ( Fig. 1 a). Pronotal fovea absent ( Fig.1 b); mesepisternum without dorsal mesepisternal groove ( Fig. 1 c) and epicnemial carina ( Fig. 1 d)................ Polistella Ashmead, 1904

- Clypeus latero-dorsally extending not or somewhat far beyond the anterior tentorial pits ( Fig. 2 aa). Pronotal fovea present ( Fig. 2 bb); mesepisternum with dorsal episternal groove ( Fig. 2 cc) or/and epicnemial carina ( Fig. 2 dd)..................... 2

2. Pronotal carina lamellate ventrad to fovea ( Fig. 3 a); parastigma (prestigma) [pa] of forewing more than 0.5x as long as the basal length of pterostigma [pt] ( Fig. 3 b, b').............................................. Gyrostoma Kirby, 1828

- Pronotal carina shortened or blunt, not lamellate below fovea ( Fig. 4 aa); parastigma relatively short, less than or equal to the 0.5x length of pterostigma ( Fig. 4 bb).................................................... Polistes Latreille, 1802

Figures

FIGURE 1. Polistes japonicus de Saussure, 1858 (left, female; mid, male) and P. snelleni de Saussure, 1862 (right, male)

FIGURE 2. Polistes rothneyi f. grahami van der Vecht, 1968 (left and right, female) and male of P. chinensis (Fabricius, 1793) (mid, male).

FIGURE 3. Polistes tenebricosus Lepeletier, 1836 (a, b) and P. gi g as (Kirby, 1826) (b'), female.