Polistes

Polistes
Polistes gallicus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Subfamily: Polistinae
Tribe: Polistini
Genus: Polistes
Latreille, 1802
Type species
Polistes gallicus
Synonyms[2]
  • Eupolistes Dalla Torre, 1904
  • Sulcopolistes Blüthgen, 1938
  • Polistula Weyrauch, 1939
  • Pseudopolistes Weyrauch, 1939
  • Leptopolistes Blüthgen, 1943
P. metricus, female

Polistes is a cosmopolitan genus of paper wasps and the only genus in the tribe Polistini. Vernacular names for the genus include umbrella wasps, coined by Walter Ebeling in 1975 to distinguish it from other types of paper wasp, in reference to the form of their nests,[3] and umbrella paper wasps.[4] Polistes is the single largest genus within the family Vespidae, with over 200 recognized species.[5] Their innate preferences for nest-building sites leads them to commonly build nests on human habitation, where they can be very unwelcome; although generally not aggressive, they can be provoked into defending their nests. All species are predatory, and they may consume large numbers of caterpillars, in which respect they are generally considered beneficial.[citation needed]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Carpenter2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Europe was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ebeling1975 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Chakraborti2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Carpenter1996 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).