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Records of Polistes nimpha (Christ, 1791) (P. opinabilis Kohl, 1898) from Finland, Russian Karelia, the Baltic countries and some adjacent areas, those of P. biglumis (L. 1758) from Scandinavia and those of P. dominulus (Christ, 1791) (P. gallicus auct.) from the Baltic countries are mapped. The distribution of P. biglumis is boreomontane; in Scandinavia the range is disjunct and recent nesting records in the province of Norrbotten in Sweden (about 66°N) are the northernmost of all Polistes species in the world. The northern habitats of P. biglumis in Sweden are open areas of stony ground about 150 m above sea level. The stones store insolating warmth and the microclimatic conditions are suitable for development of the brood on open combs. P. dominulus is expanding its range northwards in Europe. Nomenclature, colour variation and diagnostic characters of the three Polistes species are treated.