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.
Leptochilus is a large, mostly Holarctic genus of small sized potter wasps. The genus reaches its largest diversity in the Palearctic where there are more than 135 species belonging to 5 subgenera. However the division of The division of Leptochilus into subgenera can not be fully supported and the status of some of them is dubious.
Monobia is a primarily neotropical genus of medium-sized to large potter wasps occurring from the United States to Argentina. This genus is very closely related to the genus Montezumia. It contains the following species:
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.
Chlorodynerus is an old world genus of potter wasps. The following species are included in this genus:
Cyrtolabulus is an African, Indomalayan and Palearctic genus of potter wasps. It contains the following species:
Ropalidia is a large genus of eusocial paper wasps (Polistinae) in the tribe Ropalidiini distributed throughout the Afrotropical, Indomalayan and Australasian biogeographical regions. The genus Ropalidia is unusual because it contains both independent and swarm-founding species. Ropalidia romandi is one of the swarm founding species, meaning that new nests are founded by a large group of workers with a smaller number of inseminated females, while Ropalidia revolutionalis is independent-founding, meaning that each nest is founded by a single foundress.
Stenodynerus is a rather large genus of potter wasps whose distribution spans the Nearctic, Palearctic, Oriental and Neotropical regions. Most of its species lack a transverse carina on the first metasomal tergum. A pair of medial pits on the anterior face of the pronotum and the expansion of the tegulae put this genus close to genera as Parancistrocerus, Hypancistrocerus and Eustenancistrocerus.
Knemodynerus is a genus of potter wasps distributed through the Palearctic, Afrotropical, Indomalayan and Australasian regions. The species currently classified in the genus are:
Eumenidiopsis is an afrotropical genus of Afrotropical potter wasps with eight known species, which are set out below:
Eustenancistrocerus is an Afrotropical, Palearctic and Oriental genus of potter wasps. The species in this genus include:
Micreumenes is an Afrotropical genus of potter wasps with 30 described species.
Microdynerus is a genus of potter wasps in the family Vespidae.
Pseudepipona is a genus of potter wasps found in the Palearctic, Nearctic, Afrotropical and Australian regions.Andrey sus
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.
Hemipterochilus is a Palearctic genus of potter wasps. It contains the following species:
Onychopterocheilus is a Palearctic genus of potter wasps.
