Revision of the genus Polistes Latreille (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) in the Philippine Islands
Author
Selis, Marco
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-12-14
4531
4
507
531
journal article
27769
10.11646/zootaxa.4531.4.3
c953a470-a1b6-47b0-a403-9a6a828951e4
1175-5326
2614887
05141281-0CC7-451B-B459-0498EBCEDA30
Polistes
(
Polistella
)
philippinensis
de
Saussure, 1854
(
Figs. 32–40
)
Polistes philippinensis
de
Saussure 1854
: 58
,
♀
—“Les
Philippines
” (
holotype
BMNH).
Polistes sagittarius
var. (or subsp.)
funebris
Bequaert 1940
: 269
,
♀
,
♂
—“Los Banos, Luzon,
Philippines
Islands” (
holotype
MCZ).
Syn. nov.
Diagnosis.
This species can be recognized by the combination of the following characters: medium to large sized wasp, mesosoma densely and coarsely punctate and interspaces raised to form reticulation, female metasomal sterna with longitudinal ridges (
Fig. 37
), coloration of metasoma ranging from entirely black to black with extensive orange markings on T1–T5, and clypeus of male entirely black or almost black with very reduced yellow lateral lines (
Fig. 38
).
Material examined.
PHILIPPINES
: LUZON
:
Cagayan
,
St. Ana
,
X.2014,
1
♂ (MSVI);
Ifugao
,
VII.2013,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Isabela
,
Dinapigue
,
VIII.2014,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Isabela
,
Dindin
,
VIII.2014,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Nueva Vizcaya
,
Belance
,
I.2014
, leg.
M.G. Felipe
,
2♀
(
MSVI
)
;
Subic
,
X.2015,
2
♂ (
MSVI
)
;
MINDANAO:
Agusan
,
San Francisco
,
X.2017,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Compostela
,
Masara
,
III.2014,
1
♀ (
UDRI
)
;
Compostela
,
Masara
,
II.2016,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Cotabato
,
Kidapawan
,
XI.2014,
2
♂ (
MSVI
)
;
Davao
,
Governor Generoso
,
X.2017,
1
♂
2♀
(
MSVI
)
;
Davao
,
Governor Generoso
,
XI.2017,
4
♂
1♀
(
MSVI
)
;
Davao
,
Kapatagan
,
VII.2015,
1
♂ (
MSVI
)
;
Davao
,
Kapatagan
,
XII.2016,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Gutalac
,
V.2015,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Masara
,
I.2015,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Mt. Apo
,
XI.2013,
1
♂
1♀
(
MSVI
)
;
Mt. Apo
,
II.2014,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Mt. Apo
,
VI.2014,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Subic
,
X.2015,
1
♂ (
MSVI
)
;
Zamboanga
,
Gutalac
,
I.2015,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Zamboanga
,
Gutalac
,
IV. 2015,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Zamboanga
,
Gutalac
,
VI.2015,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
MINDORO:
Abra
de Ilog
,
VI.2014,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Baco
,
VIII.2015,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Baco
,
IX.2015,
1
♂
1♀
(
MSVI
)
;
Puerto Galera
,
VIII.2014,
2
♂
1♀
(
MSVI
)
;
Puerto Galera
,
XI.2014,
1
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
SAMAR
:
Lope de Vega
,
VI.2016,
1
♂ (
MSVI
)
;
Lope de Vega
,
VIII.2016
, leg.
Ismael Lumawig
,
1♂
(
LDMLC
)
;
Lope de Vega
,
XI.2017,
2
♀ (
MSVI
)
;
Maydolong
,
X.2015,
1
♂ (
MSVI
)
.
Distribution.
Philippine Islands
:
Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro*,
Samar
* (
Bequaert 1940
;
Carpenter 1996b
;
Selis 2015
).
Remarks.
This species is endemic to the
Philippine Islands
and was formerly divided into two subspecies,
P. p.
philippinensis
de
Saussure, 1854
and
P. p. funebris
Bequaert, 1940
. As previously stated in
Selis (2015)
, the cohabitation of these two subspecies on Mindanao was in contrast with the concept of subspecies as a form that does not occur together with the typical form, implying that the subspecies of
P.
(
P.
)
philippinensis
needed to be revised. Having examined many specimens of both forms, both males and females, and from all main islands of the
Philippine Islands
, it is now possible to conclude that the two forms should be synonymized.
Polistes
(
P.
)
philippinensis funebris
generally shows smaller size and darker coloration (
Figs. 32–33
), while
P.
(
P.
)
philippinensis philippinensis
is larger and more extensively marked with orange (
Figs. 34–35
). In females, however, intermediate specimens that cannot be certainly placed in one subspecies are common. In males, differences in size and coloration are more constant, but transitional forms can be found, moreover differences in external characters and genitalia cannot be found. Therefore, the synonymy of
P.
(
P.
)
philippinensis funebris
under the typical form is proposed.