The genus Polistes Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) of Brazil: morphological diagnoses, identification key, and geographical distribution Author Brito, Samanta 0000-0002-0945-6894 Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Manaus, AM, Brazil brito.samanta25@gmail.com Author Oliveira, Marcio L. 0000-0002-3950-1086 Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Manaus, AM, Brazil mlolivei@inpa.gov.br Author Carpenter, James M. 0000-0001-6754-8028 American Museum of Natural History, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, New York, USA carpente@amnh.org Author Somavilla, Alexandre Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Manaus, AM, Brazil text Zootaxa 2024 2024-08-21 5496 4 509 545 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5496.4.3 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5496.4.3 1175-5326 CC25A6CB-0783-4917-BEF7-0F332F6451F5 Polistes ( Epicnemius ) melanosoma de Saussure, 1853 (Figs 59, 60) Polistes melanosoma de Saussure, 1853: 76 , ♂ . Diagnosis. Female. Body pigmentation black, there may be reduced brown marks. Wing pigmentation yellowish to faintly brown. Intermediate size, about 18 mm in total length. Clypeus slightly wider than it is long or as long as wide, with dimorphism of the bristles, which may be in the entire length or only in the lower region, but short bristles at its base becoming long toward the apex, and punctures medium-sized, deep 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 through entire gena; humeri slightly projecting; mesepisternum with short and dense bristles, small and shallow punctation; propodeal concavity and striae absent; tergum I longer than wide, with short and dense bristles, and strong, medium sized, and deep punctures; tergum II wider or as wide as long, with short and dense bristles, weakly punctate. Male. Similar to females, except for clypeus with pointed apex. Material examined . 14♀ , 2♂ in total. Brazil : Bahia , 4♀ ( MNB ); Espírito Santo , 1♀ ( MNB ); Goiás , 1♀ , 1♂ ( MNHN ); Paraná , 2♀ ( CESC ); Rio de Janeiro , 2♀ ( MNB ) , 1♀ ( NHM ); Rio Grande do Sul , 1♀ , 1♂ ( CESC ); Santa Catarina , 1♀ ( MNB ); São Paulo , 1♀ ( MZSP ) . Distribution. Brazil : Amapá , Amazonas; Bahia , Espírito Santo , Goiás , Minas Gerais , Rio de Janeiro , Rio Grande do Sul , Santa Catarina , São Paulo ; Guyana ; Paraguay ; Argentina .