Polistes tepidus is a species of wasp in the family Vespidae. It was described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. The species is endemic to parts of Oceania, primarily Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and the Solomon Islands. Workers feed upon caterpillars to cache food for their nest. Nests are usually located in trees or other foliage but can also be found within human structures.
Subspecies The following 7 subspecies are recognized: Polistes tepidus batjanensis Cameron, 1911 Polistes tepidus malayanus Cameron, 1906 Polistes tepidus manusensis Petersen, 1990 Polistes tepidus picteti de Saussure, 1853 Polistes tepidus speciosus du Buysson, 1913 Polistes tepidus tepidus (Fabricius, 1775) Polistes tepidus theodoris Petersen, 1990
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