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, and umbrella paper wasps. Polistes is the single largest genus within the family Vespidae, with over 200 recognized species. 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.
Eumenes is a genus of wasps in the subfamily Eumeninae. It is a large and widespread genus, with over 100 species and subspecies occurring worldwide. The genus was first proposed by Pierre André Latreille in 1802, with the type species later designated by Latreille in 1810. All species make jug-like nests out of mud, usually attached to twigs. The larvae are fed with caterpillars.
Anterhynchium is an Afrotropical, Indomalayan, Australian and Palearctic genus of potter wasps. As in many species of wasp, female wasps defend against predation using a modified ovipositor to sting predators. Like some other wasps in the Vespidae family, male wasps can produce a "pseudo-sting" with two sharp spines on either side of their genitals; however, unlike in the females, this "sting" is venomless.
Synagris is an Afrotropical genus of large potter wasps. Several Synagris wasps are strongly sexually dimorphic and males bear notable morphological secondary sexual traits including metasomal lamellar or angular protruding structures and hornlike or tusklike mandibular and/or clypeal projections.
Katamenes is a genus of potter wasps with species distributed in Europe and Africa. When originally named by Edmund Meade-Waldo, Katemenes was monotypic, containing only K. watsoni, but other species have since been moved from Eumenes to Katamenes.
Paraleptomenes is a primarily Indomalayan genus of potter wasps. There is a single species, Paraleptomenes miniatus, reported outside of the region, from the island of Mauritius in the Afrotropical region.
Knemodynerus is a genus of potter wasps distributed through the Palearctic, Afrotropical, Indomalayan and Australasian regions. The species currently classified in the genus are:
Rhynchium is an Australian, Afrotropical, Indomalayan and Palearctic genus of potter wasps.
Eustenancistrocerus is an Afrotropical, Palearctic and Oriental genus of potter wasps. The species in this genus include:
Pareumenes is an Afrotropical, Palearctic and Oriental genus of potter wasps.
Proepipona is an Afrotropical genus of potter wasps.
Pseudalastor is an Australian genus of potter wasps.
Zetheumenidion is a small afrotropical genus of potter wasps currently containing 11 species, one of them previously with two subspecies. The species are distributed through southern and eastern Africa.
Pseudonortonia is a fairly large genus of potter wasps with a rich Afrotropical fauna, as well as with several species which occur throughout the Palearctic and Indomalayan regions.
Rhynchalastor is a moderately large afrotropical genus of potter wasps with 25 species currently known. Some authorities expand the genus to include species otherwise classified under related genera such as Stenodynerus
Labus is an Indomalayan genus of potter wasps. It contains the following species:
Phimenes is an Indomalayan and Australasian genus of potter wasps. The genus was formerly regarded as a synonym of Delta. The genus was separated from Eumenes by the Italian hymenopterist Antonio Giordani Soika when he elevated division IV of Eumenes, which Saussure had given the name Phi to, to full generic status. However, Giordani Soika noted that the name Phi was preoccupied by a subgenus of the New World polistine genus Mischocyttarus and he therefore chose to compound Phi with Eumenes into Phimenes as the name for the new taxon.
Delta emarginatum is a species of potter wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae of the family Vespidae.
Delta pyriforme is a species of potter wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae of the family Vespidae. They are distributed across Asia. Several populations are recognized:
Rhynchium brunneum is a species of potter wasp found in Asia. Across the wide distribution range, they show considerable variation in the patterning and several subspecies have been described, including:
