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Subspecies of the Indo-Australian Polistes stigma (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

1987; Brill; Volume: 18; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1163/187631287x00098

1876-312X

Børge Petersen,

Marine and coastal plant biology

[Polistes stigma (subgenus Polistella) is a widespread Indo-Australian species which differentiates into allopatric colour forms, subspecies. In the present work 19 subspecies are recognized, mainly from the periphery of the range of P. stigma. 9 subspecies are new, viz., galatheae (India: Nicobar Islands), sauiensis (India: Car Nicobar), alagari (Philippines: Tawi Tawi), pouli (Bismarck Islands: Lavongai), madsi (Bismarck Islands: Dyaul), goestai (Bismarck Islands: Mussau), jani (Admiralty Islands: Manus), and svendi (Admiralty Islands: Luf, Hermit Islands). With status downgraded 7 taxa are ranked to subspecies of P. stigma, viz., P. novarae Saussure, 1867 (India: Nicobar Islands), P. multipictus Smith, 1861 (Indonesia: Ambon), P. manillensis Saussure, 1853-55 (Philippines), P. dubius Saussure, 1867 (Philippines: Luzon, ?Calicoan), P. maculipennis Saussure, 1853-55 (New Guinea), P. bernardii Guillou, 1841 (N. Australia) and P. townsvillensis Soika, 1975 (E. Australia). New synonyms are: P. richtersi Soika, 1975 = P. bernardii Guillou, 1841 and P. comis Cheesman, 1951 = P. maculipennis Saussure, 1853-55. Lectotypes are designated for Vespa stigma Fabricius, 1793, Polistes dubius Saussure, 1867 and P. maculipennis Saussure, 1853-55. The two subspecies recognized in Australia, bernardii and townsvillensis, meet in a high-variability common hybrid zone in the Cairns area. The subspecies of the Bismarck Islands form evolutionary lineages presumably reflecting time of isolation. Structural characters recently claimed to be of taxonomic value, e.g., sculpture, clypeus/eye contact, and shape of first gastral segment, are shown to be useless. The general female colour pattern of 17 subspecies and the male genitalia are figured for the first time., Twenty species and two subspecies of Episymploce from China are described in this part of a revision of the genus. Almost all of them were originally considered to be Symploce's. A key to the males is given.]