Cuckoo bee A neon cuckoo bee (Thyreus nitidulus) using its mandibles to grasp a plant stalk to rest. (more) cuckoo bee insect Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/animal/cuckoo-bee Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/animal/cuckoo-bee Written by Anna Dubey Anna Dubey is a freelance writer at Encyclopædia Britannica. Anna Dubey Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Oct 1, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Ask the Chatbot a Question cuckoo bee, any of more than 3,000 species of solitary bees that engage in brood parasitism, a form of kleptoparasitism in which the bees deposit their eggs in the food-provisioned nests of other bees. Cuckoo bees are found on every continent except Antarctica and occupy a range of habitats. The term cuckoo bee is a behavioral descriptor and not a taxonomic group. As such, bees that exhibit this behavior are found in a number of families and genera, including cloak-and-dagger bees (Thyreus, family Apidae), sharptail bees (Coelioxys, family Megachilidae), Triepeolus and Epeolus (both in the family Apidae), blood bees (Sphecodes, ...(100 of 549 words)

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