"underground nest openings"

#8842674

13 September 2022

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.

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Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#8842676

13 September 2022

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.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#8842678

13 September 2022

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.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.