Cuckoo bumblebee
The cuckoo bumblebee is a distinctive species of bumblebee found globally, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, South America, and Asia. Recognizable by its black and yellow striped pattern, this large bee can grow up to two inches (about five centimeters) long. Unlike typical bumblebees, cuckoo bumblebees exhibit parasitic behavior; they invade the nests of other bumblebee species. After killing the queen of the host colony, the female cuckoo bumblebee assumes control, using the resident workers to raise her own eggs.
The cuckoo bumblebee's body is segmented into three parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen. It has a hairy black head with a yellow band, six thick legs, and four membranous wings. Only the female possesses a stinger, which she uses for defense, as it also serves as an ovipositor in simpler hymenopterans. The species is aptly named after cuckoo birds, which similarly lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. Overall, cuckoo bumblebees represent a fascinating example of parasitism in the insect world.
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Cuckoo bumblebee
The cuckoo bumblebee is a global species. It is native to the Northern Hemisphere as well as South America and Asia. Like other bumblebees, it has a distinctive black and yellow striped pattern. The cuckoo bumblebee has parasitic tendencies. It will kill other bumblebee species' queen bees and assume control of its nest and resident worker bees for its own benefit.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Uniramia
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Genus: Bombus
Species: Psithyrus
The cuckoo bumblebee is a large bumblebee. Growing to a length of about two inches (five centimeters), this bee has a black body which is covered with black and yellow hairs. Like other bees, the cuckoo bumblebee's body is divided into three parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen. The cuckoo bumblebee's head has a hairy black front and a yellow band across the back of the head. The two stick-like antennae of the cuckoo bumblebee extend from this insect's head. The cuckoo bumblebee's compound eyes, or eyes with many lenses, are also held on the insect's head.
Behind the head is the cuckoo bumblebee's thorax. From the thorax extends the six thick, hairy, black legs and four thin, brown, membranous wings of the cuckoo bumblebee. Like other bumblebees, the cuckoo bumblebee's body is short and plump.
The cuckoo bumblebee's abdomen contains all of the internal organs and its stinger. Only the female cuckoo bumblebee has a stinger. This is because the stinger is the same organ as the ovipositor, or egg-laying device, of simpler members of the Hymenoptera order. Although the cuckoo bumblebee does not use its stinger to lay eggs, it does use it to defend itself. Poisonous liquid is contained in the stinger and is used to paralyze prey and harm predators.
The species of bee is named after cuckoo birds. This is because it mimics certain parasitic characteristics. Typically, a parasite is an animal that lives in or on another animal and steals resources from its host. Cuckoo birds lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and leave their young to be raised by these hosts. Like the cuckoo bird, the cuckoo bumblebee leaves its eggs in the nests of other bees, particularly those of bumblebees.
After mating, the male cuckoo bumblebee typically dies and the female begins to search for a bumblebee nest to live. Although the cuckoo bumblebee needs to live in a colony, there are no workers in the cuckoo bumblebee species. A worker is a nonreproductive female whose job is to tend to the colony's needs. The majority of all bees in all beehives are typically worker bees. These bees search for food, take care of the young, tend to the needs of the queen, and sting any predators that endanger the colony. Since the cuckoo bumblebee does not produce any workers it must use the workers of the colony it seeks to overtake.
When the female cuckoo bumblebee finds an appropriate nest, she kills the resident queen and destroys its eggs and larvae. The cuckoo bumblebee have large mandibles and sacs of venom that provide a critical advantage in a fight. As the new queen bee, the female cuckoo bumblebee will threaten the worker bees and take control of the colony. She will then lays her own eggs for the colony to raise.
It is not known how long the cuckoo bee lives.
Related species in the genus Bombus:
- Cuckoo bumblebee (Bombus ashtoni)
- Barbut’s cuckoo-bee (Bombus barbutellus)
- Gypsy’s cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus bohemicus)
- Fernald’s cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus fernaldae)
Bibliography
“Bombus.” Natural History Museum, www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/bombus/ps.html. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.
Hauze, Deena. “Bombus.” Animal Diversity Web, 2020, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Bombus. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.
Sather, Patrick. “10 Incredible Bumblebee Facts.” A-Z Animals, 15 Aug. 2023, a-z-animals.com/blog/10-incredible-bumblebee-facts. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.