Taxonomic revision of the Protopolybia picteti-emortualis species-group (Richards, 1978), with descriptions of two new species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Polistinae).

A taxonomic revision of the Protopolybia picteti-emortualis species-group now demonstrates that this group is possibly the largest in Protopolybia, comprising 15 species: P. eldinaris sp. nov.; P. djaneteae sp. nov.; P. cameranii (Zavattari 1906) = P. bella (Von Ihering 1903) syn. nov.; P. fulvotincta stat. rev.; P. biguttata, P. nitida, P. alvarengai, P. iheringi, P. perfulvula, P. steinbachi, P. wheeleri, P. rotundata, P. picteti, P. emortualis and P. duckei. Male and female genitalia are illustrated for P. biguttata Bequaert, P. bella, P. nitida, P. fulvotincta and P. picteti. New collection records and a new identification key are presented for this species-group.

Phylogeny of Protopolybia Ducke, 1905 and taxonomic revision of the Protopolybia exigua species-group (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Polistinae), with description of four new species.

A first phylogenetic hypothesis is proposed for Protopolybia Ducke, 1905 based on cladistic analysis of 31 species. New evidence in support of monophyly of the genus is presented. A revision of the Protopolybia exigua species-group is also presented. Protopolybia diligens (Smith, 1857), stat. resurr. is revalidated. Four new species are described: P. collombiana Santos, Silveira & Carpenter, sp. nov., P. clypeata Santos, Silveira & Carpenter, sp. nov., P. similis Santos, Silveira & Carpenter, sp. nov., and P. potiguara Santos, Silveira & Carpenter, sp. nov. Protopolybia holoxantha (Ducke, 1904) and P. rubrithorax Bequaert, 1944 are redescribed. New synonymy is proposed for P. bituberculata Silveira & Carpenter, 1995 =Polybia nana Cameron, 1912 (nom. praeocc., nec de Saussure 1863), syn. nov. New records and description of the male genitalia are provided for some of the species of the P. exigua species-group.