Polistes major is a Neotropical species of paper wasp found from South America north into the southern United States.[1] This species is known as avispa de caballo (Spanish: "horse wasp") in the Dominican Republic.
| Polistes major | |
|---|---|
| |
| P. major in Coral Gables, Florida | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Vespidae |
| Subfamily: | Polistinae |
| Genus: | Polistes |
| Species: | P. major
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| Binomial name | |
| Polistes major Palisot de Beauvois, 1818
| |
Subspecies
editThere are five described subspecies:[1]
- Polistes major bonaccensis Bequaert, 1937
- Polistes major castaneicolor Bequaert, 1936
- Polistes major colombianus Bequaert, 1940
- Polistes major major Palisot de Beauvois, 1818
- Polistes major weyrauchi Bequaert, 1940
Description
editPolistes major is a larger species compared to allies within its genus, reaching 17 to 22 mm (0.67 to 0.87 in) in length, with a wingspan of up to 45 mm (1.8 in).[2] It is second in size only to P. carnifex. The coloration varies by subspecies, though the most widespread subspecies, P. m. major, has a reddish-brown ground color with broad yellow stripes. In contrast, the subspecies P. m. castaneicolor and P. m. weyrauchi are entirely reddish with no yellow markings.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Carpenter, James M. (1996). "Distributional checklist of the species of the genus Polistes (Hymenoptera: Vespidae; Polistinae, Polistini)". American Museum Novitates (3188): 1–39. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ Snyder, Susan Leach (2013). "Order Hymenoptera (Bees, Wasps, Ants, and Sawflies) in the Christopher B. Smith Preserve". Tortoise Preserve. Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ Richards, Owain Westmacott (1978). The social wasps of the Americas, excluding the Vespinae. London: British Museum (Natural History). pp. 477–488. ISBN 0565007858.
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