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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Ants, Stinging Wasps, and Hornets (Vespoidea) » Yellowjackets, Paper Wasps, and Hornets; Potter, Mason and Pollen Wasps (Vespidae) » Paper Wasps (Polistinae) » Polistes » Polistes perplexus

Species Polistes perplexus

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Identification · See Also · Internet References · Works Cited
Large wasp - Polistes perplexus - female Large wasp - Polistes perplexus Large wasp - Polistes perplexus - female Wasp Red - Anterior side - Polistes perplexus - male Wasp Red - Propodeum - Polistes perplexus - male Wasp Red - Face & Pronotum - Polistes perplexus - female Wasp Red - Propodeum - Polistes perplexus - female Wasp - Red - - Right Dorsal - Polistes perplexus - female
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps)
Superfamily Vespoidea (Ants, Stinging Wasps, and Hornets)
Family Vespidae (Yellowjackets, Paper Wasps, and Hornets; Potter, Mason and Pollen Wasps)
Subfamily Polistinae (Paper Wasps)
Genus Polistes
Species perplexus (Polistes perplexus)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Polistes carolinus, Polistes generosus
Identification
Very similar to Polistes carolina, and formerly considered synonymous. See comments under this image:

The key difference is in the wasp's "cheek" (works only for females). For a side-by-side comparison of the two species see here (images from Polistes key in the Identification Atlas of the Vespidae of the Northeastern Nearctic Region (1)).
See Also
Polistes carolina
Internet References
Species page in the Identification Atlas of the Vespidae of the Northeastern Nearctic Region. (1)
Common Missouri Wasps and Bees--photo
Insects of Tyson Research Center--checklist
ANSP--lists synonymy with generosus
Works Cited
1.Identification Atlas of the Vespidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) of the Northeastern Nearctic Region
By Matthias Buck, Stephen A. Marshall, and David K. B. Cheung
Contributed by Cotinis on 4 May, 2006 - 8:49am
Additional contributions by Matthias Buck, ceiseman
Last updated 27 October, 2008 - 12:01pm

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