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.
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.
Hypodynerus is a South American, primarily Andean, genus of potter wasps with most of its described species inhabiting Chile. The species included in Hypodynerus include:
Cyrtolabulus is an African, Indomalayan and Palearctic genus of potter wasps. It contains the following species:
Stenodyneriellus is an Australasian and Indomalayan genus of potter wasps.
Subancistrocerus is an Australian, Indomalayan, African and Palearctic genus of potter wasps. Males of this genus used to have an enlarged antennal tip.
Knemodynerus is a genus of potter wasps distributed through the Palearctic, Afrotropical, Indomalayan and Australasian regions. The species currently classified in the genus are:
Leptomenes is a mainly Afrotropical genus of potter wasps. It was previously a much larger genus, though many species have been transferred to other genera such as Eumenidiopsis, Stroudia, and Tachymenes.
Eustenancistrocerus is an Afrotropical, Palearctic and Oriental genus of potter wasps. The species in this genus include:
Microdynerus is a genus of potter wasps in the family Vespidae.
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.
Pterocheilus is an essentially holarctic genus of potter wasps with a fairly rich diversity in North America and a single Afrotropical species Pterocheilus eurystomus Kohl 1906 known from Socotra. They are usually rather large wasps characterized by reduced tegulae and prominently pilose labial palpi.
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:
Labus is an Indomalayan genus of potter wasps. It contains the following species:
Pseudagris is an Afrotropical genus of large potter wasps, formerly treated as a subgenus within Synagris.
