Montezumia

Montezumia
Montezumia platinia
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Vespidae
Subfamily:	Eumeninae
Genus:	Montezumia Saussure, 1852
Type species
Montezumia rufidentata Saussure, 1852
Species
Montezumia analis Montezumia anceps Montezumia arizonensis Montezumia aurata Montezumia azteca Montezumia azurescens Montezumia bequaerti Montezumia brethesi Montezumia bruchii Montezumia coeruleorufa Montezumia colombiana Montezumia cortesia Montezumia cortesioides Montezumia difficilis Montezumia dimidiata Montezumia duckei Montezumia ferruginea Montezumia fritzi Montezumia grossa Montezumia holmbergii Montezumia huasteca Montezumia ignobiloides Montezumia ignota Montezumia infernalis Montezumia insolita Montezumia koenigsmanni Montezumia leprieurii Montezumia liliacea Montezumia liliaciosa Montezumia marthae Montezumia melas Montezumia mexicana Montezumia morosa Montezumia nigra Montezumia nigriceps Montezumia nigroflava Montezumia nitida Montezumia oaxaca Montezumia obscura Montezumia pelagica Montezumia petiolata Montezumia platinia Montezumia simulatrix Montezumia soikai Montezumia sparsa Montezumia trinitata Montezumia termitophila Montezumia variegata Montezumia vechti

Montezumia is a primarily neotropical genus of eumenine wasps whose 48 species (Willink 1982) range from Argentina to the southwestern United States (Arizona). Most of the known species (38 of 52 species and subspecies; Willink 1982) are from South America. Unfortunately, the behaviour of Montezumia species has been described for only eight definitively identified species (ferruginea, dimidiata, cortesioides, vechti, pelagica, brethesi, platinia, and petiolata) (reviewed in Willink 1982).

The genus is specially interesting for illuminating the origins of group life and eusociality (social behaviour characterized by a reproductive division of labor between egg-laying queens and sterile workers). Montezumia belongs to a vespid subfamily (Eumeninae) of primarily solitary wasps which are closely related to the eusocial vespids of the subfamilies Epiponinae and Polistinae

References

• Willink, A. 1982. Revisión de los generos Montezumia Saussure and Monobia Saussure (Hymenoptera: Eumenidae). Bol. Acad. Nac. Cienc., Cordoba 55: 3-321.