Psithyrus
Encyclopedia
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. 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.
Female cuckoo bumblebees will aggressively attack host colony members, and sting the host queen, but will ignore other animals (including humans) unless disturbed.
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 ashtoniBombus ashtoniBombus ashtoni is a species of cuckoo bumblebee....
- Bombus barbutellusBombus barbutellusBombus barbutellus, or Barbut's Cuckoo-bee is a species of cuckoo bumblebee...
- Bombus campestrisBombus campestrisBombus campestris is a species of cuckoo bumblebee....
- Bombus citrinusBombus citrinusBombus citrinus is a species of cuckoo bumblebee. Bombus citrinus is a very interesting animal. The female is usually about half an inch long. It is an insect more dominant than its close relative, Bombus impatiens....
- Bombus cornutusBombus cornutusBombus cornutus is a species of cuckoo bumblebee....
- Bombus fernaldaeBombus fernaldaeBombus fernaldae is a species of cuckoo bumblebee.The Fernald cuckoo bumble bee is a cuckoo bumble bee, having only males and queens and no worker bees. The females place there eggs in the nest of the confusing bumble bee, Bombus perplexus, and the red-belted bumble bee, Bombus rufocinctus who...
- Bombus insularisBombus insularisBombus insularis is a species of cuckoo bumblebee....
- Bombus rupestrisBombus rupestrisBombus rupestris is a species of cuckoo bumblebee.-Distribution:The bumblebee is present in most of Europe except Iceland and the Balkans. It is also found in Turkey.-Description:...
- Bombus sylvestrisBombus sylvestrisBombus sylvestris is a species of cuckoo bumblebee....
- Bombus variabilisBombus variabilisBombus variabilis is a species of cuckoo bumblebee....
- Bombus vestalisBombus vestalisBombus vestalis is a species of cuckoo bumblebee.Bombus vestalis usual host is Bombus terrestris . It is similar in appearance to another cuckoo bumblebee: Bombus bohemicus but is distinguishable by either looking at the length of the antennal segments or dissection and comparison of the...
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.