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Cuckoo Bees (Thyreus sp.) - Biodiversity Of West Bengal
Cuckoo bee (Thyreus) is an Old World genus of bees known for stealing food and shelter from other bees. Thyreus bees don't collect any pollen to store as food, and they don't build nests. Instead of visiting flowers, female Thyreus cruise around looking for underground nest openings of other bee species. When she finds the ground nest of hapless mining bee, she barges in and lays eggs. When her cuckoo bee larvae hatch, they first eat the eggs of the other bee and then eat all the stored pollen provisioned to feed the offspring. A Cuckoo bee is on the holy basil or tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) plant in the afternoon at Tehatta, West Bengal, India on September 11, 2022. (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto)
Photo Details
| Photo ID | #8842674 |
|---|---|
| Date Taken | |
| Location | N/A |
| Photographer | Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto |
| Category | Human Interest |
| Copyright | © 2025 NurPhoto - Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto |
Related Keywords
Cuckoo Bees (Thyreus sp.)
NurPhoto
Human Interest
Biodiversity Of West Bengal
cuckoo bee larvae hatch
Old World genus
hapless mining bee
A Cuckoo bee
underground nest openings
other bee species
other bees
holy basil
Ocimum tenuiflorum
West Bengal
female Thyreus
Thyreus bees
food
shelter
pollen
nests
flowers
eggs
offspring
tulsi
plant
afternoon
Tehatta
India
September
Photo
Plant
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