#psithyrus

[dailybugfacts]

do you know any facts about psithyrus (parasitic cuckoo bees)?

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TODAY'S FACT IS

Did you know that Barbut's Cuckoo Bee (Bombus barbutellus) is found in much of Europe? As a cuckoo bumblebee, they do not make nests of their own, instead opting to kill the queen of a different species of bumblebee and take over her nest and enslaving her workers. After usurping the nest, they don't gather food or pollen themselves, as they force the enslaved workers to do that. Cuckoo bumblebees as a whole are members of the genus Bombus because they're bumblebees but also the subgenus Psithyrus, indicating that they're a cuckoo species.

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Photo by Anna Kranz

[usgsbiml]

Parasite.  

Nest parasite to be exact.  

Formerly in the genus Psithyrus, these bees are now in the genus Bombus, with the rest of the bumble bees.  The idea is that they are just bumble bees that have decided that it is easier to invade other bumble bee nests and disable or kill the queen and have the old queen's daughters do their bidding....easier than doing all that pollen collecting themselves.  

This species appears to be associated with B. perplexus and B. rufocinctus, though there is certainly much more to learn and likely additional hosts.  This male came from the State College area of Pennsylvania and collected by Laura Russo.  Notably outside of the normal range of B. rufocinctus.

All original pictures completely public domain and available at our Flickr site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml/

Photography Information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-_yvIsucOY

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Download our free field guide to the genera of bees:http://bio2.elmira.edu/fieldbio/beesofmarylandbookversion1.pdf

Public Bee Servant, sam droege

[qwerewwqwer]

Was so auf meinem Balkon herumfliegt😎, #insects #bombus #Hummel im #Lavendel #psithyrus #eosr #herrw #nature (hier: Leipzig, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRhBYlUnXFY/?utm_medium=tumblr

[qwerewwqwer]

Was so auf meinem Balkon herumfliegt, #Hummel im Anflug 😎 #insects #bombus #Lavendel #psithyrus #eosr #herrw #nature (hier: Leipzig, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRcJNeBHIPj/?utm_medium=tumblr

[qwerewwqwer]

Was so auf meinem Balkon herumfliegt, #insects #bombus #Hummel im #Lavendel #psithyrus #eosr #herrw #nature (hier: Leipzig, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRZKQL6nv_v/?utm_medium=tumblr

[hymnofhues]

A #bumblebee that is possibly a #psithyrus. I have always fried to get a mobile #marcoshot of these speedsters, that are also a major #pollen dispersers. ~A.J. . #hymnofhues . #shotoncanon 1200d 250mm at 1/2000 and IS01600. . #canonphoto #canonindiaofficial #canonphotography #canonindia . #hyderabad #macro_mood #photographers_of_india #photographers_of_hyderabad #_coi #macrophotography #natgeoyourshot #beesofinstagram #_soi #_m_o_i #macro_brilliance #macro_perfection #indianphotowaale #indiashutterbugs #countingmacros #bobbyjoshi #india_pixelz #beephotography #insectsofinstagram #insectphotography (at Malkajgiri) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6I5-35pm7M/?igshid=2vvw2o48op1n

[quaesedesmare]

psithyrus replied to your post: tfw when you had anxiety since yesterday and you...

// i love oitnb….. i finished season 5 ages ago tho gOOD LUCK haha

im on season 4 so im trying to catch up