Phenotypic characters are traditionally the main information for species discrimination in taxonomic studies of invertebrates. However, the presence of inter- and intraspecific polymorphism makes it difficult to identify species in many groups such as Neotropical social wasps. Herein, we examined different sources of biological information such as adult morphology, male genitalia, nest architecture, and genetic data applying an integrative taxonomic approach to study pinned museum specimens belonging to the social wasp genus Pseudopolybia de Saussure, 1863. Based on multiple independent lines of evidence, we described a new Neotropical swarm-founding social wasp, Pseudopolybia cryptica sp. n. Moreover, we proposed a phylogenetic hypothesis for Pseudopolybia including this new species. Our taxonomic findings applying an integrative approach reinforce that the social wasp diversity in the Neotropics may be underestimated due to morphological similarity.

The Roraima state in Brazil is part of Northern Amazon, an area harboring high biodiversity and high degree of endemism. Nevertheless, there are few studies on diversity of social wasps occurring in this region. This study presents a list of social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) collected actively and using Malaise, Suspended and Light trap in six localities in Roraima state. A total of 85 species of 14 genera were collected. Fourty-five of these species are new distribution records to Roraima state, some species are not common found in the collections and lists of species, and some are recorded for the second time to Brazil or the Amazon region. This increase may be an indication that the Polistinae richness is probably higher in the regions studied and that Roraima may well contain a number of additional (as yet unrecorded) social wasp species. More comprehensive studies are needed in order to increase the knowledge of wasp species in Roraima, contributing to increased knowledge of the diversity in Northern Brazil.

The Serra da Mocidade National Park is a conservation area located in one of the most inaccessible portions of Amazonia Biome in the Roraima State. The first survey of aquatic insects from that in this region was undertaken in January to February 2016 and we present a checklist of eight species of the Leptophlebiidae (Ephemeroptera) found in the Park and describe three new species of Miroculis based on male imagos.

For the Neotropical genus AngiopolybiaAraujo 1946, several phenotypic forms were previously described, however, they have not been studied within an integrative taxonomic framework. Here, we used molecular data (variation of two mitochondrial genetic markers with molecular species delimitation methods) and morphology (adult morphology, male genitalia, and scanning electron microscopy images) to test the number of species within Angiopolybia. Specifically, we investigated the taxonomic validity of the morphological variants A. pallens dark morph, A. paraensis morph paraensis, A. paraensis morph ruficornis, and A. paraensis morph obscurior. Moreover, we reviewed the taxonomy and geographic distribution of the genus. Our results of morphological and molecular analyses are compatible with the current classification of Angiopolybia, and we did not find reasons to propose the morphological variants of A. pallens and A. paraensis as valid species. Additionally, we reassess the spatial range of the four Angiopolybia species and provide refined maps of their geographical distributions.

The Acre and Rondônia states in Brazil are part of Western Amazon rainforest in Brazil, an area harboring high biodiversity and high degree of endemisms Nevertheless, there are few studies on diversity of social wasps occurring in both states. This study presents a list of social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) collected using three modified Malaise traps model: Townes, Gressit and Gressit, and suspended traps in two localities in Acre and two in Rondônia state.  A total of 60 species were collected, 20 of these species are new distribution records to Acre state and 54 species, 15 of these species are new distribution records to Rondônia state. Some species are not commonly found in the collections and lists of species, and some are recorded for the first or second time to Brazil or the Amazon region. Now there are 114 species (19 genera) for Acre and 116 species (19 genera) for Rondônia. This increase may be an indication that the Polistinae richness is probably higher in the regions studied and that Acre and Rondônia may well contain a number of additional (as yet unrecorded) social wasp species. He we present an updated about the geographic records of social wasps’ fauna in both states.