Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble Bee

bombus flavidus

The Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble Bee (Bombus flavidus) is a fascinating and stealthy inhabitant of boreal and montane ecosystems. Unlike typical bumble bees that laboriously gather pollen to provision their nests, this species lives as an obligate social parasite, or 'cuckoo.' Females are specialized infiltrators that seek out the established colonies of other bumble bee species, relying on the host workers to rear their young. This unique lifestyle completely bypasses the need to build a nest or forage for larval food, highlighting a remarkable evolutionary divergence within the bee world. Because of their reliance on host populations, the presence of the Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble Bee is a strong indicator of a healthy, thriving ecosystem capable of supporting diverse bee communities. Their distinct behaviors and life cycle make them a captivating subject for both casual observers and entomologists.

生息地: Found in boreal forests, taiga, and high-elevation alpine meadows, strictly following the distribution of its specific bumble bee host species.

外見

Bombus flavidus can be distinguished from non-parasitic bumble bees primarily by the distinct lack of corbiculae (pollen baskets) on the hind legs of females; instead, their hind legs are rounded, convex, and densely hairy. They generally feature a relatively shaggy coat of pale yellowish hair on the thorax and abdomen, often interrupted by a darker band of black hairs between the wings and on the face. Their bodies appear slightly more robust with a thicker, harder exoskeleton, which serves as armor, and their wings often have a subtle dark tint. They lack the characteristic worker caste, so any encountered individual will either be a large reproductive female or a male.

界Animalia門Arthropoda綱Insecta目Hymenoptera科Apidae属Bombus

Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble Bee

カテゴリ

昆虫

レア度

Common

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

スナップ

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おもしろい事実

Because they never need to collect food for their young, female cuckoo bumble bees completely lack the pollen baskets found on the legs of typical bumble bees.

Cuckoo bumble bees do not produce a worker caste; every egg laid by the intruding female is destined to become a reproductive male or a new queen.

To survive the hostile takeover of a colony, they have evolved heavily armored exoskeletons that protect them from the stings of defending workers.

When sneaking into a host nest, a female may hide in the nest debris for days, absorbing the colony's unique scent to avoid being attacked.

特殊能力

Females take over the nests of other bumble bee species, subjugating or killing the resident queen and forcing host workers to raise her offspring.

Possesses an exceptionally thick and hardened cuticle designed to protect the bee from stings and bites during hostile nest takeovers.

Capable of mimicking the specific pheromonal scent of the host colony to avoid detection and reduce aggression from defending workers.

サイズと詳細

長さ: 1-2 cm
翼開長: 2-4 cm
体重: 0.0001-0.0004 kg
寿命: 0-1 年
Top Speed: 15 km/h
一度の産卵数: 10-50
抱卵期間: 4-6 日

食性と食事

Adults sustain themselves purely on flower nectar for energy, while their larvae are fed a mixture of nectar and pollen gathered entirely by the workers of their host colony.

年齢による違い: Larvae consume a protein-rich diet of pollen and nectar provided by host workers, whereas adults consume strictly nectar for immediate flight energy.

主な食物

Nectar from Asteraceae
Fireweed nectar
Goldenrod nectar
Host-gathered pollen (larvae)

採餌方法

Foraging

生態系とのつながり

parasite

Western Bumble Bee

Bombus occidentalis

Infiltrates nests to use workers for rearing offspring.

mutualism

Fireweed

Chamerion angustifolium

Adults forage on nectar, providing incidental pollination.

eaten by

Goldenrod Crab Spider

Misumena vatia

Ambushed and eaten while foraging on flowers.

特徴

このオブジェクトにはまだ特徴バッジが割り当てられていません。

別名

まだ別名はありません。

コレクション

テーマが追加されると、このオブジェクトのコレクションがここに表示されます。

安全性

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。

よくある質問

Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble Beeを見分けるには？

Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble Beeを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。

Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble Beeの長さは何ですか？

1-2 cm

Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble Beeの翼開長は何ですか？

2-4 cm

Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble Beeの体重は何ですか？

0.0001-0.0004 kg

Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble Beeの寿命は何ですか？

0-1 年

Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble Beeのtop Speedは何ですか？

15 km/h

Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble Beeは何を食べますか？

Adults sustain themselves purely on flower nectar for energy, while their larvae are fed a mixture of nectar and pollen gathered entirely by the workers of their host colony.

Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble Beeは通常どこに生息していますか？

Found in boreal forests, taiga, and high-elevation alpine meadows, strictly following the distribution of its specific bumble bee host species.