A new species of the genus Protopolybia Ducke, 1905 (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae), with taxonomic contributions to the exigua species-group Author Dos Santos Junior, José N. A. Author Silveira, Orlando T. Author Carpenter, James M. text Zootaxa 2017 4286 3 432 438 journal article 32746 10.11646/zootaxa.4286.3.11 477f6617-fd0f-49d5-a82c-09a4f6a7b076 1175-5326 828517 9EA714EB-DC55-46A1-BDC6-5FE517EC534D Protopolybia diligens ( Smith, 1857 ) Material examined. BOLIVIA : Sara , 1♀ ( Steinbach ) ; ECUADOR : Santiago-Zamora , Cumbaratza, S.E. Loja , 1♀ , 31.iii.1965 ( L.E. Pena ) ; Pastaza , Jibaria Shurupe , 1 ♀ , 7.xi.1987 ( M. Huybensz ) ( AMNH ) ; BRAZIL : Maranhão , 113♀ , 25.iv.2015 , Ninho B 1 ( Borges, R.C. ), 166♀ , Ninho B 2 ( MPEG ) ; Mato Grosso , 3♀ , Utiariti , Rio Papagaio , vii-viii.1961 ( K. Lenko ) ( MZUSP ) . Distribution. Colombia , Peru , Brazil ( Amazonas , Maranhão , Pará , * Mato Grosso ); * Bolivia , * Ecuador . Remarks. Richards (1978) described the shape of the nests of P. exigua as circular, with a diameter of about 3.5 and 1.2 cm high, presenting one or two combs. Like P. exigua , P. diligens also has a round nest, measuring 0.9–3.5 in height and 4.3–5.85 cm in length, with the number of combs varying from one to three ( Figs 15, 16 ). In addition, three P. diligens nests shaped differently from the one described above were collected in São José de Ribamar, Maranhão , Brazil . Two of them are remarkably narrower and longer, reminiscent of the nests of P. bituberculata ; both have a single comb, but they differ in size, one measuring 12.0 × 2.5 cm and the other 9.9 × 2.9 cm ( Figs 17, 18 ).