|
Cuckoo bumblebees | | | Scientific classification | | | | Species | | see text Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ...
“Animalia†redirects here. ...
Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - Trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - Spiders, Scorpions, etc. ...
Orders Subclass Apterygota Symphypleona - globular springtails Subclass Archaeognatha (jumping bristletails) Subclass Dicondylia Monura - extinct Thysanura (common bristletails) Subclass Pterygota Diaphanopteroidea - extinct Palaeodictyoptera - extinct Megasecoptera - extinct Archodonata - extinct Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Blattodea (cockroaches) Mantodea (mantids) Isoptera (termites) Zoraptera Grylloblattodea Dermaptera (earwigs) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets...
Suborders Apocrita Symphyta Hymenoptera is one of the larger orders of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. ...
Subfamilies Apinae - Honeybees Bombinae - Bumblebees Euglossinae - Orchid bees Meliponinae - Stingless bees Nomadinae Xylocopinae - Carpenter bees The Apidae are a large family of bees, comprising the common honeybees, stingless bees (which are also cultured for honey), carpenter bees, and bumblebees. ...
Tribes Ancylini Anthophorini Apini Bombini Centridini Ctenoplectrini Emphorini Ericrocidini Eucerini Euglossini Exomalopsini Isepeolini Melectini Meliponini Osirini Protepeolini Rhathymini Tapinotaspidini Tetrapediini The Apinae is the subfamily that includes the majority of bees in the family Apidae, including the familiar corbiculate bees (honeybees, stingless bees, orchid bees, and bumblebees), plus all the...
Species see text A bumblebee in flight The bumblebee is a flying insect of the genus Bombus in the family Apidae. ...
| Cuckoo bumblebees are members of the subgenus Psithyrus in the bumblebee genus Bombus. Up until recently, the 29 species of Psithyrus were considered to constitute a separate genus.[1]They are a specialized lineage which has lost social behavior, and lost the ability to collect pollen, and are instead cleptoparasitic in the colonies of other bumblebees. Before finding and invading a host colony, a Psithyrus female (there is no caste system in these species) will feed directly from flowers. Once she has infiltrated a host colony, the Psithyrus female will kill or subdue the queen of that colony and forcibly (using pheromones and/or physical attacks) "enslave" the workers of that colony to feed her and her developing young. When the young emerge, they leave the colony to mate, and the females seek out other nests to attack. Species see text A bumblebee in flight The bumblebee is a flying insect of the genus Bombus in the family Apidae. ...
Kleptoparasitism or cleptoparasitism (literally, parasitism by theft) is a form of feeding where one animal takes prey from another that has caught, killed, or otherwise prepared it, including stored food provisions, as in the case of cuckoo bees, which lay their eggs on the pollen masses made by other bees. ...
Female cuckoo bumblebees will aggressively attack host colony members, and sting the host queen, but will ignore other animals (including humans) unless disturbed.
Selected species
- Bombus ashtoni
- Bombus barbutellus
- Bombus campestris
- Bombus citrinus
- Bombus cornutus
- Bombus fernaldae
- Bombus insularis
- Bombus rupestris
- Bombus sylvestris
- Bombus variabilis
References - ^ Williams, P.H. 1994. Phylogenetic relationships among bumblebees (Bombus Latr.): A reappraisal of morphological evidence. Systematic Entomology 19: 327-344.
Further reading - Michener, C.D. (2000). The Bees of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Macdonald, M. & Nisbet, G. 2006. "Highland Bumblebees: Distribution, Ecology and Conservation." HBRG, Inverness, www.hbrg.org.uk. ISBN 0-9552211-0-2.
|
Feeds |
Contact