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Neotropical swarm-founding wasps are divided into 19 genera in the tribe Epiponini (Vespidae, Polistinae). They display extensive variation in several colony-level traits that make them an attractive model system for reconstructing the evolution of social phenotypes, including caste dimorphism and nest architecture. Epiponini has been upheld as a solid monophyletic group in most phylogenetic analyses carried out so far, supported by molecular, morphological and behavioural data. Recent molecular studies, however, propose different relationships among the genera of swarm-founding wasps. This study is based on the most comprehensive epiponine sampling so far and was analyzed by combining morphological, nesting and molecular data. The resulting phylogenetic hypothesis shows many of the traditional clades but still impacts the way certain behavioural characters, such as nest structure and castes, evolved, and thus requires some re-interpretations. Angiopolybia as sister to the remaining Epiponini implies that nest envelopes and a casteless system are plesiomorphic in the tribe. Molecular dating points to an early tribal diversification during the Eocene (c. 55-38 Ma), with the major differentiation of current genera concentrated in the Oligocene/Miocene boundary., (© The Willi Hennig Society 2020.)

The genus Gastrodynerus is here revised based on external morphology and male genitalia. Bohart (1984) proposed Gastrodynerus as a new genus with three species: G. vanduzeei (Bohart 1948), G. searsi Bohart, 1984, and G. stangei Bohart, 1984. Later, Rodriguez-Palafox (1996) added G. tacubayae (de Saussure, 1857). Herein, we describe four new species from Central America and South America: G. guatemalensis sp. nov.; G. barretti sp. nov.; G. aimara sp. nov. and G. yungaensis sp. nov. After this taxonomic revision, the Gastrodynerus includes eight species widely distributed in the New World. An identification key is provided for all of the species.

The genus Eumenes Latreille, 1802, from the New World, is revised based on external morphology and male genitalia. New synonymy is proposed as follows: E. aureus Isely, 1917 = E. americanus de Saussure, 1852; E. bollii oregonensis Bequaert, 1838, and E. b. ehrenbergi Zavattari, 1912 = E. bollii Cresson, 1872; E. consobrinus pedalis Fox, 1894 = E. consobrinus de Saussure, 1855; E. crucifera bolliformis Viereck, 1908, E. c. nearcticus de Saussure, 1855 and E. c. stricklandi Bequaert, 1944 = E. crucifera Provancher, 1888; E. smithii belfragei Cresson, 1872 = E. smithii de Saussure, 1852; E. verticalis coloradensis Cresson, 1875, E. v. neoboreus Bequaert, 1944, E. v. tricinctus Isely, 1917 = E. verticalis Say, 1824. Eumenes flavitinctus Bohart, 1950, revised status, is no longer a subspecies of E. crucifera but elevated to specific level. Eumenes brunneus is elevated to the specific level and a new name is proposed because of homonymy, E. bequaerti Grandinete Carpenter nom. nov. An identification key for all the species of the genus from the New World is provided and the geographical distributions are updated.

The external morphology and genitalia of the males of Stenonartonia mimica (Kohl 1907), Sphaeromenes discrepatus Giordani Soika, 1978 and Gamma bolivianum flavior Giordani Soika, 1990 are described for the first time.

Three new species from the Neotropical region are described: Ancistroceroides soikai Grandinete & Carpenter, sp. nov. (Costa Rica, Paraguay); Cephalastor huautla Grandinete & Carpenter, sp. nov. (Mexico), and Symmorphus centralis Carpenter & Grandinete, sp. nov. (Costa Rica).

The first checklist of the Peruvian Hymenoptera listed 1169 species and subspecies of aculeate wasps, including 173 species of Pompilidae, seven of Scoliidae, 39 of Sphecidae and 403 of Vespidae. Herein are reported 32 species as new for Peru based mainly on the collection of the Natural History Museum, London. The loss of the endemic status of two species is also reported: Entypus peruvianus (Rohwer) (Pompilidae: Pepsinae) and Omicron ruficolle schunkei Giordani Soika (Vespidae: Eumeninae).

A new species, Pirhosigma sulcata Ferreira & Hermes, sp. nov. is described from the Brazilian Amazon; the male of Pararhaphidoglossa gibbiventris Giordani Soika, 1978 is described for the first time. Pseudodynerus carpenteri Hermes & Melo, 2008 is newly recorded from Brazil. New collecting data are reported for Pseudodynerus griseus (Fox, 1902) and P. subapicalis (Fox, 1902).